Broken Hearts (Healer Series Book 2): 10th Doctor Specials
by Chell-P
Summary: With death comes life, something that the Doctor is grateful for now that he has Ariana by his side. What mysteries are awaiting the Time Lords as they continue to reconnect? Will their relationship stand the test of time when the past comes knocking. Will it bring them together or break them apart?
1. The Next Doctor Part 1

Text Key:

 **-Doctor Who-** scene break

 _"speaking Gallifreyan"_

 _'telepathic communication'_

The TARDIS materialised under the cover of a stone bridge as it snowed, the Doctor opened the door and stepped out, holding out his hand another taking his that being Ariana's. Who came out and closed the door with her free hand. To think...this was going to be their first trip together since Donna. So a little cheering up and the celebration of Ari's regeneration was in order.

Ari had been a little nervous about this trip at first, having know idea what would lay ahead of them. Because it was either going to be a relaxing and casual trip...which had made her scoff internally...or one full of adventure something that she desperately craved...

She smiled, at the thought that it was the first time she's actually seen snow. Now looking back at the Doctor, who laughed as he turned to lead her along into a busy market. Stalls lining the streets, decked out in green garlands and red bows and carollers singing. Everyone dressed in clothing of the 19th century.

Ariana laughed at the beautiful sights before her.

"Do you like it?" the Doctor asked.

"Oh, I love it, this is amazing," she told him with a grin.

He beamed glad that he got this right for her, "Well I know how much of a history buff you are," he gave a shrug, trying to come off as nonchalantly as he could, "So I thought, why not?"

"You know me so well," she said with a small laugh and smiling fondly up at him, before pulling him down with a chaste kiss on the lips.

Which left the Doctor in a brief daze before looking around and spotting a boy not far from them standing at a stall, "You there, boy. What day is this?"

"Christmas Eve, sir," the boy offered with a nod.

"What year?"

"You thick or something?"

Ari snorted in amusement but just managed to hide it with her hand just as the Doctor sent her a mocking glare before returning to the boy, "Oi. Just answer the question."

The boy sighed, "Year of our Lord 1851, sir."

"Right," he nodded, "Nice year. Bit dull."

Before either of them could break out and have a good natured bicker over period Earth and futuristic Alien trips a shout catches their attention.

"Doctor!" a woman cried out as the Time Lords spun around, confused to as where it had come from, "Doctor!"

"Who, me?" he gestured to himself.

"Our dull just got a lot more interesting don't ya think?" Ariana smirked at him before they took off running. Heading in the direction of where the woman's shouting had come from.

The shouting led them to a side alley and around the corner to another street, where they found a black woman dressed in period clothing cautiously backing away from a large pair of bolted doors.

"Doctor!" she called again just as the Time Lords reached her.

"Don't worry, don't worry," the Doctor goes over to her, "Stand back, what have we got here?" turning in a blink of an eye, he sees his mate pressing her ear up against the door, "Ariana?"

Who jumped before she could respond when something slammed against the doors, a growl following it from the inside, "Whatever's behind that door ain't gonna be friendly," Ari turns giving the woman a serious look, "So I suggest you get outta here, find somewhere safe."

But they only got looked at if they were stark raving bonkers, and she turned back to shouting again, "Doctor!"

Ariana frowned at the woman and glanced to the Doctor, rather confused to what was going on, knowing he was standing right next to her.

"No, I'm standing right here," he frowned equally at the woman with a small wave, "Hello."

"I don't think that it's you she's been calling for," Ariana remarked with an equal frown, "Which Doctor are you looking for exactly?" she then asked the woman.

"Don't be stupid. Who are you?"the woman demanded looking between them both.

"He is the Doctor and I'm Ariana," the female Time Lord answered.

"Doctor who?"

"Just the Doctor," the Doctor remarked.

"Well, there can't be two of ya," she said looking behind them just as a man in a tanned yellow coat ran up, dressed in the right period clothes, as the woman rounded on him, "Where the hell have you been?!"

"Don't worry," he stepped forward coaxing them back, "Stand back. What have we got here then?"

"Hold on, hold on," the Doctor cut in shaking his head, "Who are you?"

"I'm the Doctor," the man replied. Just as Ariana's eyes widened equally as her mates, "Simply, the Doctor. The one, the only and the best. Rosita, give me the sonic screwdriver."

That woman handed him something but it was too quick for both properly see what it was.

"What?" the Doctor shook his head.

"Now quickly, get back to the TARDIS," the Other Doctor ordered Rosita.

"Back to the where and the what now?" Ariana shook her head.

"If you could stand back, sir, ma'am," the Other Doctor glanced back at the duo grinning, "This is a job for a Time Lord."

"Job for a what Lord?"

Suddenly the doors burst opened revealing a black, shaggy creature with a furry body and a Cyberman-like mask where it's face should actually be.

"Ok, that's different," Ariana commented as the Doctor reached into his coat pocket.

"Oh, that's new..." the Other Doctor agreed with her.

Both the Doctor's aimed their sonics at the creature before them, "Allons-y!" they shouted together only to look at each other, taken aback. The creature looking between them.

"I've been hunting this beast for a good fortnight," the Other Doctor informed the Doctor, "Now step back, sir."

The monster suddenly leaps over them as they duck and it clung itself on to wall of the building behind, as stared down at them with intent, like it was studying them.

"Some sort of primitive conversion," Ariana mentions with a frown, before looking up to her mate, "Like they took the brain of a cat or a dog..."

"Well, talking's all very well," the Other Doctor interrupted her, "Rosita?"

"I'm ready," Rosita gives a nod, passing him over the lasso of rope which he swung around the top of his head. Just as the Doctor pulled Ariana away just to give the other man some room.

"Now, watch and learn," the Other Doctor releases the rope in just in one fail swoop capturing the monster, "Excellent. Now then, let's pull this timorous beastie down to Earth..."

But when all seemed well, the creature started pulling the Other Doctor with it as it climbed further up the wall, who was refusing to let the rope go.

"Or not," Ariana heard her Doctor sigh.

"I might be in a little bit of trouble," the Other Doctor called just as he got dragged further up the building.

"Still haven't changed one bit after all these years," Ariana frowned, not surprised to see her boyfriend run over to help.

"Hang on I've got you!" the Doctor called, taking hold of the rope, only to get pulled up as well.

"Really you too!" Ariana grumbled, pinching her nose in frustration.

"You idiots!" Rosita yelled at the Doctors.

"I prefer dumbass," the Time Lord muttered to herself, "Now I'm saving his sorry ass just like I used to when we were kids," she gave the woman a smile before running off as she picked an axe up along the way and charged up some stairs, listening in to her mate along the way.

"Perhaps if you could pull?" the Other Doctor asked.

"I am pulling," the Doctor replied back, "In this position, I couldn't not pull, could I?"

"Then I suggest you let go, sir."

"I'm not letting you out of my sight, Doctor. Don't you recognise me?"

"No, should I? Have we met? This is hardly the right time for me to go through my social calendar."

Both Doctors manage to get pulled through the window just as Ariana reached the top of the building. She managed to kick the door open just in time to see the creature, pulling both Doctors on with it across the floor, towards a window.

"It's going to jump!" the Doctor warned, just as Ari ran towards them.

"We're gonna fall!" the Other Doctor shouts.

She swung the axe, cutting the rope just in the nick of time before the Other Doctor had reached the window. Both stumbled backwards from the sudden halt. Ariana collapsed herself against the wall, as she catches her breath but at the same time feeling an exhilarating rush, watching as the Doctors stood wincing and moaning with slight pain.

With a shake of her head she made her way over, "That mister is what happens when you get caught in some rope," Ariana lightly scolds her boyfriend.

He returned a wink at her before they started laughing. Both of the Doctors hugging each other with excitement.

"Doctor!" they heard Rosita call with a gasp as she approached, running up to her Doctor while Ariana went to check hers over.

"Everything ok?" she asked checking him over.

"You know me Ari," he wrapped an arm around her waist, leading her to follow the Other Doctor and Rosita.

"A thank you for saving your ass wouldn't go amiss," she complained with a scoff.

"Alright thank you," he chuckled kissing the top of her head affectionately, just before heading down the stairs and going back outside.

"Well, I'm glad you think it's so funny," Rosita gave a glare at both the Doctors, "You're mad. Both of you. You could've got killed."

"But evidently we did not," the threw off with a laugh stepping beside her turning to both of the two Time Lords, "Oh, I should introduce Rosita. My faithful companion. Always telling me off."

"Well somebody has to," Ari smirked, glancing up at her Doctor, as they both thought of Donna.

"Rosita," the Doctor commented, looking at the other woman, "Good name. Hello, Rosita. And this is Ariana...my...well," he glanced down at her with a fond smile, "My girlfriend."

"Now I'll have to go and dismantle the traps," Rosita now sighed in disbelief, now turning to her Doctor, "All that for nothing. And we've only got twenty minutes till the funeral, don't forget," she called starting to head back towards the building, "Then back to the TARDIS, right?"

"What funeral?" Ariana frowned.

"Oh, long story," the Other Doctor waved off with a shrug, "Not my own, not yet," he now bends over, looking rather tired, "Oh, I'm not as young as I was."

"Well, not as young as you were when you were me," the Doctor remarked. Before Ariana jabbed him in the side with her elbow.

"When I was who?" the Other Doctor look up in confusion.

"Don't you recognise me?" the Doctor eyed him over before nodding to his girlfriend, "Or her?"

"Not at all."

"You really don't know who I am do you?" Ariana asked, eyeing the man suspiciously. Whilst wondering where in Rassilion's name she was.

"Should I?" when he replied, it honestly hurt, to think that he could forget his own Bonded in the future. Let alone forget himself.

"But you're the Doctor," the Doctor spoke slowly, "The next Doctor. Or the next but one. A future Doctor anyway."

"Oh!"

"No, no, don't tell me how it happened," the Time Lord stepped back and shook his head, Although, I hope I don't just trip over a brick..."

"Oh, definitely that'd be such an embarrassing way to go," Ariana agreed with her mate.

"Then again, painless. Worse ways to go. Depends on the brick."

"You're gabbling, sir," the Other Doctor cut him off staring at him, "Now might I ask, who are you and this lovely lady are, exactly?"

"No, I'm, er, I'm just. Smith," the Doctor introduced himself, giving the mans hand a shake, "John Smith and this is...er.."

"Mills," Ariana quickly answered for him, "Ariana Mills."

"But I've heard all about you, Doctor," the Doctor compliments him, "Bit of a legend, if I say so myself."

 _'Talk about boosting your own ego,'_ Ariana mentioned, with a roll of her eyes.

"Modesty forbids me to agree with you, sir," the Other Doctor seemed rather embarrassed about it, "But yes. Yes, I am."

Ari raises her eyebrow, him being modest? Well that was certainly a change.

"A legend with certain memories missing," the Doctor checked with him, "Am I right?"

"How do you know that?" the Other Doctor frowned at him.

"You've forgotten us," the Time Lord remarked, before nodding to Ariana.

The man nodded acting perfectly normal, "Great swathes of my life have been stolen away. When I turn my mind to the past, there's nothing."

"Going how far back?" The female Time Lord asked with concern.

"Since the Cybermen. Masters of that hellish wall-scuttler and old enemies of mine, now at work in London town. You won't believe this, Mr. Smith, but they are creatures from another world."

"Really," the Doctor nodded slowly, "Wow."

"It's said they fell onto London, out of the sky in a blaze of light. And they found me..." the man recalled the event trailing off, "Something was taken. And something was lost," he looked up at the two of them, "What was I like, in the past?"

"That's something we can't tell you," Ari began, cut her mate off before he could speak, "It's best to not say anymore than we have to especially when dealing with memory loss."

"It's strange, though," the man eyed both of them, "I talk of Cybermen from the stars and you don't blink, Even you Miss Mills..."

"Ariana," she insisted to him.

"Ah, don't blink. Remember that?" the Doctor grinned fondly, "Whatever you do, don't blink? The blinking and the statues? Sally and the angels? No?"

"You're a very odd man," the man stared at him oddly.

"Not the first person to tell him that," Ari remarked

"Hmm, I still am," the Doctor adds thoughtfully to the Other Doctor, "Something's wrong here."

The man suddenly jumps up, "Oh, the funeral! The funeral's at two o'clock. It's been a pleasure, Mr. Smith. Miss Mills..."

"Ariana will be just fine!" she told the man with a slight huff.

"Don't breathe a word of it."

"Oh, can't we come with you?" the Doctor asked, laughing internally at his girlfriends mental complaints.

He knew that she was still adjusting after being locked away for so long. That having probably having a last name now just felt a little wrong to her. Having been human for twenty odd years she deserved the freedom of using her real name after all. Ariana the Time Lord. It was understandable of course but he couldn't help but love the cute expressions she made when getting annoyed.

"It's far too dangerous," the Other Doctor turns to face them, moving backwards, "Rest assured, I shall keep this city safe. Oh, and, er merry Christmas, Mr. Smith, Miss Mills!" he dashed off around the corner out of sight before Ariana could correct him of her name.

"Merry Christmas, Doctor," the Doctor mumbled just as the Other Doctor turned the corner, "Something feels very wrong.

"Your not wrong there because he isn't you," Ari turned to look at him, "Whoever that guy is, he's not a future version of you."

"How can you be so sure?" he asked his girlfriend, feeling she would got a better sense of the man already. But when it came to meeting yourself it normally cancels everything out.

"Ok there's two very reasonable explanations..."

"That he didn't remember you..." he hazarded with a guess.

"No, smarty pants," she shakes her head, "It's strange that the only thing he remembers is up to the Cybermen, when I hadn't even met you yet, so he wouldn't know of me."

"Ok," he nodded. Never realising until now...how odd it felt, to know she had never been there.

"I couldn't even hear inside the guys mind," she continued.

"He...he was wearing a fob watch," the Doctor recalled, only having caught a brief glimpse at his attire before he left, "Could be a Chameleon Arch."

"We're Bonded as mates now Doctor," Ari shook her head, "You wouldn't be able to survive a regeneration without me, it would damage the Bond severely."

Both stayed silent giving this a lot of thought the possibility of how he could have used the Chameleon Arch and gone on surviving, why would he do that? If something ever happened to Ari that broke their Bond he would have used it as a last resort, becoming human, just to escape his pain...if he ever truly would. His human self would have a life without love, fulfilment, relationships, that would probably waste his soul away to nothing. It was a fate worse than death for to loose your Bonded.

He shook off the dread with a shake of his head, took Ariana's hand in his, knowing it was never an option. Because his hearts would truly break, if he ever lost her, he wouldn't escape from the pain, no, he would find a way back to her whatever it took. As he now squeezed her hand, she wasn't dead, she just couldn't be dead, and was truly praying that the Other Doctor wasn't him.

"And besides," she returned the squeeze, "I tried to give his mind a read, but all I got was human brainwaves, nothing about you in the slightest."

He nodded, rather relived to hear that the man was human, "Your second reason?"

"I couldn't feel the Bond."

"Ok, lets say he is a future version of me, I'm not certain that you'd actually feel it," he reasons with her, "It's the future, he's from another timeline compared to you, the Bond wouldn't exist between yourself or the future...different realities..."

It didn't surprise Ariana as she shook her head, of course he was still new to their Bond which honestly was cute with his lack of understanding it sometimes, "I would of felt it. Come on, Doc you should know that a Bond can transfer between space and time. Future, past, present," she looked back down the end of the alley, "I didn't feel any Time Lord essence coming off that watch, it just empty, he's one hundred percent human."

He took a deep breath and frowned, "Ok, so why dose he think that he's me?"

"I haven't got a clue," she shook her head as she gave his hand another squeeze, "We're just going to have to find out."

Off the Time Lords went, running around the buildings corner following the Other Doctor. Having managed to track him down very easily, only being a few feet from the alley, watching the funeral procession at a distance with Rosita by his side.

"The late Reverend Fairchild, leaving his place of residence for the last time," they hear the man say, "God rest his soul. Now, with the house empty, I shall effect an entrance at the rear while you go back to the TARDIS. This is hardly work for a woman."

Ariana raised an eyebrow to what he just said.

"Oh, don't mind me saving your life," Rosita scoffed in remark, "That's work for a woman, isn't it?"

"The Doctor's companion does what The Doctor says. Off you go."

They watch both of them part ways.

Ariana turned to her boyfriend, "If...by chance that this is you...you ever treat me like that, it'll be the last thing you ever do," she turns back and went sneaking off after the Other Doctor.

The Doctor swallowed nervously, now feeling a little scared before going after her. Both looked at the house in question the Other Doctor was heading surreptitiously towards. The Time Lord took his Mates hand, leading her around the block to the other side, soniced the front door and heading inside.

They hear somebody fiddling about with a lock at the back of the house and the Doctor striding over whipped open the door, "Hello," he grinned at the Other Doctor.

"How did you get in?" he asked them both, shocked to see Ariana standing nearby.

"Through the front door," she replied, jerking a thumb over her shoulder.

"I'm good at doors," the Doctor offered before frowning at the object in the Other Doctor's hand, "Er, do you mind my asking, is that your sonic screwdriver?"

"Yes," he holds it up, "I'd be lost without it."

"It's just a screwdriver," Ari shook her head, "How can it be sonic?"

"Well, er, it makes a noise," he taps the screwdriver against the doorframe, "That's sonic, isn't it? Now, since we're acting like common burglars, I suggest we get out of plain view."

Stepping back they let him into the house, closing the door securely behind. The Doctor turned to see the man was already heading down the hallway and into another room off it. He glanced at Ariana who only but shrugged as they followed after him to find him rifling through the draws of a desk in a library.

"This investigation of yours, what's it about?" the Doctor asked just after a few moments while looking around the room with Ari.

"It started with a murder," the Other Doctor replied.

"Oh, good," he started with a grin before Ari slapped the back of his head, "Ow! I mean that's bad, very bad! But whose?"

"Mr Jackson Lake, a teacher of mathematics from Sussex. He came to London three weeks ago and died a terrible death."

"From Cybermen?" Ari asked.

"It's hard to say. His body was never found," he replied to the woman with a sigh, "But then it started. More secret murders, then abductions. Children, stolen away in silence."

"So whose house is this?" the Doctor now asked looking at the Other Doctor who now headed to the bookcase.

"The latest murder. The Reverend Aubrey Fairchild, found with burns to his forehead, like some advanced form of electrocution."

"But who was he?" Ariana asked with a frown "Was he important to the community?"

"You both ask a lot of questions," he commented, giving them a suspicious look.

"We're your companions," the Doctor offered with a grin.

"The Reverend was the pillar of the community, a member of many parish boards. A keen advocate of children's charities."

"Children again. But why would the Cybermen want him dead?"

"And what's his connection to the first death, this Jackson Lake?" Ari added.

"It's funny," the Other Doctor looked at them, "I seem to be telling you everything, as though you engendered some sort of trust. You seem familiar, Mister Smith. I know your face. But how?"

Ariana of course had been somewhat hurt that he never remembered her, only however it was only the time he remembered long before he met her.

"I wonder," the Doctor glanced down, to the watch dangling on it's chain on the Other Doctor's waist, "I can't help noticing you're wearing a fob watch."

"Is that important?"

"There is a legend that tells of Time Lords being contained within a watch," Ariana answered.

"Do you mind?" the Doctor offered out his hand. The man placed the watch in his hand, "It's said that if it's opened..." upon opening it instead of Time Lord essence pour out, the insides of the watch came falling out instead. It looked as though it had been broken for a long time, "Oh. Maybe not."

'What did I tell you,' Ari came filtering into his head, 'There's nothing inside.'

He nodded, before spotting something on the watch, 'See this,' he commented to her seeing the engraving 'JL' on the back. Glancing over at his mate who was frowning, having seen what he had.

"It was more for decoration," the Other Doctor offered in remark.

"Yeah. Anyway, alien infiltration."

They moved apart to search the room, "Yes. Just look for anything different. Possibly metal. Anything that doesn't seem to belong. Perhaps a mechanical device that could fit no earthly engine," the Other Doctor instructed, just as the Doctor got out his sonic and began to scan, moving towards a locked desk, "It could even seem to be organic, but unlike any organism of the natural world. Shush! What's that noise?"

He quickly threw the sonic to Ariana who hides it behind her back as they turned to now face him, "Oh, it's just him..." Ari pretends to apologise nodding at the Doctor, "Whistling," he gave her a thankful glance. "

"Oh, yes," he dose an impression of the sonic screwdriver's whistling before turning to face his mate at the desk that had now been unlocked, "I wonder what's in here, though..." he pulled open the writing desks draw, "Ah," he takes out two metal cylinders, "Different and metal, you were right. They' re infostamps."

"Well at a guess," Ari added quickly.

"And if I were you, I'd say they worked something like this," the Doctor pressed one end of the cylinder and it projected out images from the other out onto the wall before them, "It's some sort of compressed information. Tons of it," he puts on his glasses, "That is the history of London, 1066 to the present day."

"This is like a disk, a Cyberdisk," Ariana shook her head, glancing up to her boyfriend, "But why would the Cybermen need something so simple?"

He shakes his head continuing to watch the projection, "They've got to be wireless. Unless...they're in the wrong century. They haven't got much power. They need plain old basic infostamps to update themselves and..."

"Hey, are you ok?" Ari asked the Other Doctor, noticing that he looked rather pale and had collapsed into the chair with a distraught expression upon his face.

"I'm fine," he brushed of that it was nothing, as she crouched before him.

"No, what is it?" the Doctor asked, coming to join her, "What's wrong?"

"I've seen one of these before," he offered quietly, as he take the stamp from the Doctor, "I was holding this...device the night I lost my mind. The night I regenerated..." he made a pained face remembering it, "The Cybermen, they made me change. My mind, my face, my whole self. And you were there," he looked at the Doctor now startled, "Who are you?"

"Friends. I swear."

"Then I beg you, John," he now reached out, "Help me."

"The two magic words he can never refuse," Ari smiled fondly as her mate helped her stand up.

"But it's not a conversation for a dead man's house," the Doctor now continued, "It'll make more sense if we go back to the TARDIS...your TARDIS. Hold on. I just need to do a little final check. Won't take a tick," he glanced to Ari who nods and offered to help the Other Doctor up as hers started opening the doors, "There's one more thing I cannot figure. If this room's got infostamps, then maybe, just maybe, it's got something that needs infostamping..." Ari looked over just as he opens the door only to find a Cyberman standing in the doorway, "Ok!" he slammed the door shut, "I think we should run."

He ran forward, taking the Other Doctor's arm and Ari's as the Cyberman smashed through the door.

"Run, Doctor!" the Doctor shouted at him, "Now, Doctor!"

"Delete!" the Cyberman cried, as they ran down the hall towards the front door when another Cyberman is blocking their way, "The Doctor will be deleted!"

Turning back around the first Cyberman breaks through the door, "Delete."

"The stairs!" Ariana called, pulling them both back, "We can't lead them outside!"

Ari pushes the Other Doctor up the staircase, only find to be pushed up with him by her mate. Looking over her shoulder halfway up the stairs as she saw him fighting off the Cyberman with...an open umbrella.

"Use the sword dumbass!" she shouted at him in annoyance, gesturing to the sword on the wall.

He turned seeing it and grabbed it off the wall as the second Cyberman appeared.

"Delete!"

He starts flourishing the sword, "I'm a dab hand with a cutlass. You don't want to come near me when I've got one of these. This is your last warning," the Cyberman continued it's advance, "No? Ok, this is really your last warning! Ok, I give up," he backs up towards the stairs, Ari backing up much further.

"Delete!"

"Listen to me properly," the Doctor now begged, continuing to back up the stairs, as it struck him managing to block it.

"Doc!" Ari cried.

"Whatever you're doing stuck in 1851, we can help!" he tried once again blocks the next blow, "We're the only people in the world who can help you! Listen to me!"

"Delete!"

He sighed wanting to give this one final shot, "I'm the Doctor. You need me. Check your memory banks. My name's the Doctor. Leave this man alone. The Doctor is me!"

He stumbles to the side just as one of them moved to chop him once again, when out of nowhere Ariana, kicked the Cyberman square in the chest sending one then the other falling backwards like dominoes down the stairs. The Doctor looked up at his girlfriend who let go of a lamp hanging on the ceiling in the corner by the stairs that she must of swung from to land square on the stairs again.

"I bloody love you!" he grinned at her.

"Delete!"

"Remind me later and then you can thank me!" she shouted with a wink, helping him and pulling him up the stairs.

"The Doctor, remember?" he turned back to them as the Cybermen got back up, "I'm the Doctor! You need me alive. You need the Doctor, and that's me!"

"Delete!"

They make it to the top of the stairs where the Other Doctor is waiting but so were the Cybermen. Carefully backing up just as there is a sudden flash of energy shoots past them hit the Cybermen in their heads. Looking back to see it was the Other Doctor who had opened the infostamp and fired it's beams.

"Infostamp with a Cyclo-Steinham core," The Doctor beathes staring at the man in shock and amazement, "You ripped open the core and broke the safety. Zap! Only the Doctor would think of that."

"I did that..."he started to recall, "Last time."

"Come here," Ariana reached out her hand to him and pulled him up, "You'll be okay," she looked over to her boyfriend, "You still got that stethoscope?" he hands it over to her, as she placed it to the Other Doctor's chest, "I'm just going to check something."

"You told them you were the Doctor," the Other Doctor looked at the Doctor over Ariana's shoulder, "Why did you do that?"

"He was doing it to protect you," Ari informed him with reassurance, as she continued listening to his chest. She glanced over at him briefly who looked to the scope, the only thing that could be heard was a single beating heart.

"You're trying to take away the only thing I've got, like they did," the Other Doctor moved away from Ariana, "They stole something, something so precious, but I can't remember. What happened to me? What did they do?"

"We'll find out."

"You, me and Ari," the Doctor agreed, "Together."

 **-Doctor Who-**

Night had fallen by the time they made it back to the alley finding Rosita pacing nervously in wait for them.

"Doctor!" she ran over to the Other Doctor hugging him soon as she saw them, "I thought you were dead!"

"Now then, Rosita," the Other Doctor pulls away from her, "A little decorum."

"You've been gone for so long," she turned to the other two, "He's always doing this, leaving me behind. Going frantic."

"What about the TARDIS?"

"Oh, she's ready. Come on," she takes him by the arm leading the way.

"Oh, I can't wait to see this," Ariana remarked, as she linked arms with the Doctor and followed after them. They come to some empty stables with no horses, only finding clothes and suitcases scattered about the place. The Time Lords looked around as the Other Doctor talks with Rosita.

"You were right though, Rosita," he informed his companion, "The Reverend Fairchild's death was the work of the Cybermen."

"So, you live here?" Ariana looked around her.

"A temporary base, until we rout the enemy. The TARDIS is magnificent, but it's hardly a home," the Other Doctor went into a stall and washed his face with a cloth and some water in a basin.

"And where's the TARDIS now?" the Doctor asked.

"In the yard."

"Er...what's all this luggage?" the Doctor pointed at the luggage around them.

"Evidence. The property of Jackson Lake, the first man to be murdered. Oh, but my new friend is a fighter, Rosita, much like myself. He faced the Cybermen with a cutlass. I'm not ashamed to say, he was braver than I," Ari quickly chucked the Doctor his sonic back, sensing he needed it to look around, started to flash it about scanning everything. Making Rosita look up from the sound.

"He was quite brilliant," he finishes, "Are you whistling again?"

"Yes," the Doctor spun around, quickly turning off the sonic, "Yes, I am, yeah. Yeah," he gave Rosita a wink, making a 'shh' motion before going to another trunk taking it off the pile.

"That's another man's property!" Rosita called.

"Well, a dead man's," the Doctor began when Ari slapped the back of his head again. Wincing he went on to open the suitcase and look through it.

Ariana glanced over at Rosita with a smile, "How did you two meet, then?" she pointed to the Other Doctor.

"He saved my life," she answered with a sigh, "Late one night, by the Osterman's Wharf, this creature came out of the shadows. A man made of metal. I thought I was going to die. And then, there he was. The Doctor. Can you help him, sir? He has such terrible dreams. Wakes at night in such a state of terror."

"Come now, Rosita," the Other Doctor joined them, "With all the things a Time Lord has seen, everything he's lost, he may surely have bad dreams."

The Doctor tenses up and Ari notices laying a hand upon his arm, "With the bad dreams, come plenty of good ones," she whispered softly in reminder.

He looked over at her and kisses her forehead, "Yeah, I know," he agreed with her before getting back to the luggage, "Oh, now, look..." he pulled a stamp out, "Jackson Lake had an infostamp."

"But how?" the Other Doctor shakes his head, "Is that significant?"

"Doctor, the answer to all this is in your TARDIS. Can we see it?"

"Mr. Smith, Miss Mills," he smiles just as Ariana shook her head, "It would be my honour."

Turning the Other Doctor lead them through the stables into a courtyard outside. Stopping to stare at his magnificent TARDIS before walking over to it with Rosita.

The two Time Lords could only but stare at the...hot-air balloon that was tethered a few feet away.


	2. The Next Doctor Part 2

Text key:

 _"Speaking Gallifreyian"_

 _'telepathic thought'_

 **-Doctor Who-** chapter break

"There she is," the Other Doctor called as he strode towards it, grinning with pride at the elaborately patterned hot air balloon that was tethered to the ground, with a young man standing alongside it, "My transport through time and space. The TARDIS."

"You've...got a balloon," the Doctor said blinking as he and Ariana approached.

"TARDIS. T-A-R-D-I-S. It stands for Tethered Aerial Release Developed In Style. Do you see?"

"Well, I do now. I like it. Good TARDIS. Brilliant. Nice one."

They walked around the outside of the balloon peering inside it, "So it's inflated by gas, I gather?" the Time Lady glanced at the Other Doctor as her Doctor tries to get over his shock by moving a bit closer to have a look.

"We're adjacent to the Mutton Street Gasworks," the Other Doctor informed with a nod, "I pay them a modest fee," he goes over to the young man giving him a clap on the shoulder, "Good work, Jed!"

"Glad to be of service, sir," the young man replied with a grin as the Other Doctor pulled out a fair amount of bills from his inner pocket and paid Jed.

"You've got quite a lot of money there," Ariana commented, as she saw her boyfriend absently patting his coat pockets out the corner of her eye, knowing they haven't both got a penny of human money between them.

"Oh, you get nothing for nothing," he replied with a smile, "How's that ripped panel, Jed?"

"All repaired. Should work a treat," Jed said to him, "You never know, maybe tonight's the night, Doctor. Imagine it, seeing Christmas from above."

"Not just yet, I think. One day, I will ascend. One day soon."

"You've never actually been up?" the Doctor frowned.

"He dreams of leaving, but never does," Rosita tells them.

"I can depart in the TARDIS once London is safe," the Other Doctor clearly states, "And finally, when I'm up there. Think of it, John. The time and the space."

"The perfect escape," Ariana comments fondly with a smile, taking her mates hand, giving it a light squeeze, "Do you ever wonder what you're escaping from?"

"With every moment."

The Doctor glanced as his girlfriend who gave a nod, "Then do you want us to tell you?" he asked the man, "Because I think we've worked it out now. How you became the Doctor. What do you think? Do you want to know?"

 **-Doctor Who-**

They had led him back inside the stables and now sat on suitcases opposite the Other Doctor and Rosita.

The Doctor gave a sigh, squeezing his mates hand, "The story begins with the Cybermen," he started, "A long time away, and not so far from here, the Cybermen were fought, and they were beaten. And they were sent into a howling wilderness called The Void, locked inside forever more. But then a greater battle rose up, so great that everything inside the Void perished."

"Only that very battle weakened walls of other worlds," Ari adds, "Allowing the last of the Cybermen to fallen through the dimensions, back in time, to land here. And they found you."

"I fought them, I know that," the Other Doctor nodded in agreement, "But what happened?"

"At the same time, another man came to London," the Doctor continued, "Mr. Jackson Lake. Plenty of luggage, money in his pocket. Maybe coming to town for the winter season, I don't know. But he found the Cybermen too. And just like you, exactly like you, he took hold of an infostamp."

But he's dead. Jackson Lake is dead. The Cybermen murdered him."

"Only that you told us that his body was never found," the Time Lady reminded him, "Take a look around you, you kept all of his suitcases, only to not open your eyes and see the truth of what lies inside them."

"I told you the answer was in the fob watch," the Doctor added holding out his hand, "Can I see?" the Other Doctor hands him the watch, " 'J L.' The watch is Jackson Lake's."

"Jackson Lake is you, sir?" Rosita looked at him and gasped in shock.

"But I'm the Doctor," Jackson insisted.

"No, Jackson you became the Doctor," Ariana corrects him lightly, reaching out and taking the infostamp, "This stamp, the one you found, held information about one specific man..." she turned it on as it projected on to the stable wall, as one by one all the Doctor's previous incarnations appearer before them. Some of them Ari had seen in person from a distance when on Gallifrey, before his ban from home and before the Time War and the others she hadn't seen.

"The Cybermen's database," the Doctor said, "Stolen from the Daleks inside the Void, I'd say, but it's everything you could want to know about the Doctor."

The projection ends with the Doctor as he his now.

"That's you," Lake gasped looking over to see that very man sitting there across from him.

"Time Lord, TARDIS, enemy of the Cybermen," he clicks his tongue, "The one and the only. You see? The infostamp must have backfired. Streamed all that information about me right inside your head. You didn't recognise me because the stamp got corrupted, and Ariana got left out that's why you didn't know who she was."

"I am nothing but a lie..."

Ari shook her head for the man putting himself down like this, "Come on, Mr. Lake that's not true don't beat yourself up about it. Thoes stamps? They're only facts and figures," she puts her hand gently on top of his shoulder, "What you've done...the bravery you have shown, saving Rosita's life, protecting London, building a TARDIS...all of that was you."

"And what else? Tell me what else."

The Time Lady realises something, moving back letting go of Jackson's shoulder, "You've forgotten something else...something important, haven't you?"

"I demand you tell me. Tell me what they took!"

"Sorry. Really, I am so sorry, but that's an awful lot of luggage for one man. Because an infostamp is plain technology. It's not enough to make a man lose his mind. What you suffered is called a fugue. A fugue state, where the mind just runs away because it can't bear to look back. You wanted to become someone else, because Jackson Lake had lost so much."

A tolling of a church bell rings in the distance.

"Midnight," Rosita announced with a whisper, "Christmas Day."

"I remember..."Jackson suddenly gasped, "Oh, my God," eyes widening in realisation and horror, "Caroline. They killed my wife," he fell forwards and started crying, "They killed her..."

The Time Lord swallowed harshly, tightly gripping Ariana's hand, as she returned it back with a squeeze, rested her forehead on his shoulder to reassure him. She felt thankfulness coursing through him glad that this man wasn't his future, glad to have found love with an old friend.

Rosita leaned forward, wrapping her arm around Jackson to comfort him.

A faint beeping noise began to from 'the Doctor infostamp.' The one Ariana was holding, as the Time Lord looked down took it from her, remembering the one back the Reverend's house had done the exact same thing. He follows the sound to another suitcase as Ari walked with him towards it. Reaching it Ariana opened the trunk.

"Oh..." the Time Lord breathed, passing his girlfriend back the stamp pulling out a belt full of them, "You found a whole cache of infostamps."

"But what is it?" Rosita asked them, "What's that noise?"

"Activation. A call to arms. The Cybermen are moving!" he answered before pulling his mate outside just to see the shadows of Cybermen approaching. Rosita wasn't far behind coming to join them, watching a parade of orphans walking past, with an old man in a suit and two earpieces blinking away.

"What is it?" Rosita asked with a frown, "What's happening? That's Mr. Cole. He's Master of the Hazel Street Workhouse. Maybe he's taking them to prayers."

"Oh, nothing as holy as that," the Doctor disagreed, before rushing over to Mr. Cole, keeping in his stride as Ari went the other side, "Can you hear me? Hello? No? Mister Cole, you seem to have something in your ear. Now, this might hurt a bit, but if I can just..."

 _'Kas,'_ the Time Lady warned grabbing her mates arm. He looked to see her staring at a shaggy Cyber monster they encountered earlier, that were just down by the street corner.

"They're on guard," she said looking to him, "We can't risk a fight. Not with the kids."

"But where are they going?" Rosita asked

"They all need a good whipping, if you ask me," Jed comes up to them, "There's tons of them. I've just seen another lot coming down from the Ingleby Workhouse down Broadback Lane."

"Where's that?" the Doctor turns to Rosita.

"This way!" she called, running off down a side street as they followed after her through the streets as they come across another group of children being led by another old man, wearing earpieces as well, "There's dozens of them!"

"But what for?" the Time Lord asked, as they watched all the children grouped together before a large set of wooden doors. They opened and two Cybermen stepped out along with a few of the masked monsters. Making the children cower in fear.

"You will continue," one man ordered, voice void of emotion, "You will enter the Court of the CyberKing," a boy tries to escape but gets herded back by the monsters, "March. That is an order. March!"

And in doing so they marched in.

"That's the door to the sluice," Rosita informed with a whisper, "All the sewage runs through there, straight into the Thames."

"There's no chance of us getting in that way," Ariana shook her head, "We'll have to find another way inside."

The Doctor takes his mates hand as they turn back, only to find two Cybermen standing before them.

"Whoa!" he called, pushing Ari behind him, "That's cheating, sneaking up! Do you have your legs on silent?"

A woman now casually strolls up to the Cybermen, wearing a stunningly bright red dress stands before them, glancing over at the three, "So...what do we have here?"

"Listen. Just walk towards me slowly," the Doctor motions for the woman to move away, "Don't let them touch you."

"Oh," she chuckles, "But they wouldn't hurt me, my fine boys. They are my knights in shining armour, quite literally."

"Even if they've converted you, that's not a Cyber speech pattern. You've still got free will. I'm telling you, step away..."

 _'Kas...'_ Ariana whispered, her hand coming to rest on his arm, slowly lowered his arm as she now stepped beside him eyeing the woman, _'If she hasn't been been converted...then she's probably working for them.'_

It seemed Ari's thoughts were confirmed for her just as the woman spoke again, "There's been no conversion, sir. No one's ever been able to change my mind. The Cybermen offered me the one thing I wanted. Liberation."

"Who are you?" Rosita did nothing but glare back at the woman.

"You can be quiet," the woman sneered at her, "I doubt he paid you to talk. More importantly, who are you, sir, with such intimate knowledge of my companions."

"I'm the Doctor," he introduced, "This is Ariana."

"Incorrect," the Cybermen replied, "You do not correspond to our image of the Doctor."

 _'Doctor!'_ Ari informed him, _'The infostamp it's still corrupted...they upload that...'_

"Yeah, but that's because your database got corrupted," he gave her a subtle nod, getting out the stamp, "Oh, look, look, look. Check this! The Doctor's infostamp," he throws it over to the Cybermen, "Plug it in. Go on. Download."

"The core has been damaged," the Cyberman assessed, "This infostamp would damage Cyberunits."

The Doctor looked to his mate, "Oh, well. Nice try."

"It was worth a shot," she responded with a shrug.

The Cyberman was still holding the infostamp before it started to beep, "Core repaired. Download," it plugs the stamp into his chest, "You are the Doctor."

"Hello," the Doctor waved and grinned.

"The last thing we want to do is antagonise them you smartass!" Ari reprimanded, slapping his hands down.

"You will be deleted."

"Oh, but let me die happy!" he stutters slightly throwing out his hands, glancing at Ari briefly who was starting to get a little tense, "Tell me, what do you need those children for?"

"What are children ever needed for?" the woman responded with a smirk, "They're a workforce."

"For what exactly?" Ariana asked, giving the woman a scrutinising gaze.

"Very soon now, the whole Empire will see," the woman continued to smirk, "And they will bow down in worship."

"And it's all been timed for Christmas Day," the Doctor nodded, "Was that your idea, Miss..."

"Hartigan," she gives a nod, "Yes. The perfect day for a birth, with a new message for the people. Only this time, it won't be the words of a man."

"The birth of what?" Ari eyed her cautiously.

"A birth, and a death," Hartigan glanced in his direction, "Namely, yours. Thank you, Doctor. I'm glad to have been part of your very last conversation. Now," she sighed getting rather bored, "Delete them."

"Delete!" the Cybermen raised their arms.

The Doctor went to stand in front of Ari as the Cybermen started to advance. But suddenly there's a beam of energy that strikes them from behind and Jackson charged in, armed with the belt of infostamps.

"At your service, Doctor!" the man called just as the Cybermen fell to the ground, "Miss...Ariana," he corrected himself, having seen the woman's glare.

"Shades!" Hartigan called in distress, "Shades!"

"Run!" the Time Lord shouted, grabbing his mates hand, "Come on!"

"Shades!"

"One last thing," Rosita stopped, just as they run past the woman and turned around punching Hartigan across the face sending her spiralling to the ground.

"Oh, I'm definitely starting to like her!" the Time Lady grinned.

"Can I say, I completely disapprove!" the Doctor countered in remark.

"Come on!" Jackson shouted, motioning for Rosita to hurry.

The Doctor, Ariana, Jackson and Rosita stopped after having ran through the streets, needing to stop and catch their breath.

"That stronghold down by the river," Ari now mentions, "We need to find a way in."

"I'm ahead of you," Jackson cuts in, "My wife and I were moving to London so I could take up a post at the university. And while my memory is still not intact, this was in the luggage," he pulls out some legal documents, "The deeds. 15 Latimer Street. And if I discovered the Cybermen there, in the cellar, then..."

"That might be our way in," the Doctor realised, "Brilliant!"

"There's still more," the man now frowned, "I remember the cellar and my wife, but I swear there was something else in that room. If we can find that, perhaps that's the key to defeating these invaders. So, onwards!" he runs off.

"Maybe you should go back..." the Time Lord turned to the women.

"Don't even try!" both Rosita and Ari began.

"No," he now agreed, no point in arguing with them, knowing he'd only lose out to at least one of them.

 **-Doctor Who-**

They reached 15 Latimer Street with Jackson being the first one into the cellar of his house, a lone Cyberman standing guard.

"Delete!" it shouted, turning to him.

He quickly shot an infostamp at it, just as the Doctor, Ariana and Rosita turn up. Ari and the Doctor running past him into the cellar where a device was standing up in the middle of the room.

"It must've been guarding this," Ari muttered coming to kneel beside her mate.

"A Dimension Vault. Stolen from the Daleks again. That's how the Cybermen travelled through time."

Ari looked up to the man, "Jackson is this it? The thing you couldn't remember?"

"I don't think so," he frowned before shaking his head, "I just can't see. It's like it's hidden."

"Not enough power," the Doctor mumbles looking at the device, "Come on! Avanti!" He pulls his girlfriend to her feet and they went off through the tunnel the Cyberman had been guarding.

"What do the Cybermen want?" Rosita asked as the Doctor cautiously lead them through the tunnels.

"It's us they want," Ariana said

"That's what Cybermen are," the Doctor continued on from her, "Human beings with their brains put into metal shells. They want every living thing to be like them."

Just few minutes later Ari stops pulling her boyfriend back just as they come across the entrance to the work room where there are children scattered about, working tirelessly.

"Upon my soul," Jackson gasped to what he was seeing.

"What is it?" Rosita asked squinting her eyes, trying to make out the monstrosity of metal and gears beyond them.

"It's an engine," the Doctor said with a murmur, "They're generating electricity, but what for?"

Jackson makes a move forward, "We can set them free."

Only for Ariana and the Doctor to pull him back, "No, no, no, no, no, no, no..." he quickly turned around pulling his mate, back through the way they had come, a thought having struck him before coming across a power reading on the wall, "Power at 90 percent!"

"Even if we did stop the engine and power it down those Cybermen will be on us like a shot," Ari shook her head, "That's something we can't afford to happen. If only..."

"Ooh," he frowned with concern just as he tapped the readout when it began to fluctuate, "Hold on. Power fluctuation. That's not meant to happen."

"It's going wrong?" Jackson asked them.

"That's odd like..." Ari tilted her head, looking closer at the readings "...the programming is being rewritten. It's being...to change."

The control panel goes bang making the Doctor pull Ari back in the the nick of time, "Whoa! What the hell's happening?" he stares at it mouth hanging open, "It's out of control!"

"It's accelerating!" Jackson pointed out to them, "96 percent , 97..."

"When it reaches a 100, what about the children?" Rosita asked with a gasp.

"They're disposable," the Doctor replied, "Come on!"

Taking his mates hand they ran back towards the work room, charging straight in just as the alarm sounded.

The Cybermen we're preparing their blasters, "Delete. Delete."

Both of them ran in just as Rosita and Jackson started to use the infostamps on the metal men.

"All of you, out!" Ari shouted at the children, ushering them out towards the tunnels, "Every single one of you, run!"

"All of you, come on!" Jackson ushered out the children as they ran, "As fast as you can. Come on!"

"There's a hot pie for everyone, if you leg it!" the Time Lord adds.

"Go!"

"Rosita, get them out of sluice gate. Once you're out, keep running. Far as you can! Come on, come on, come on."

"Turn right at the corner!" Rosita called to the children as they enter the tunnel, "Fast as you can. And don't stop! Keep running! Keep running!"

"Go!" the Doctor ushered one of the last children out, "Quick, quick," he runs over to a gauge just on the inside of the door and calls to Ari, "It's some sort of starter motor, but starting what?"

The Time Lady stops halfway catching sight of Jackson, who seemed to be in a great deal of pain. Running over to check on him, "Mr. Lake what's wrong?"

"Something is..." he started with a gasp, "Something...what is it? What am I missing?"

Ari took his head into her hands, "The information you downloaded from the stamp about the Doctor, must have slightly altered your brainwaves. But your brain is still repairing itself from the memory loss, just not fast enough...if I can scatter the remaining waves it just might work..."

He looked back at her, "Please, do it, I want to know."

Nodding, Ari closed her eyes and concentrates. She senses the faint patterns of Jackson's brainwaves are strained within his mind. The more of her power and focus she used the dimmer it becomes, more relaxed, levelled out until they dispersed into nothing. This was the first time she helped heal someone in a long time and it had felt amazing.

He stumbled backwards with a gasp, looked up to a platform at the very top where a scared little boy stared down at them, frozen in fear, "That's my son..my son!" he looked to Ariana then the Doctor, "Doctor, my son!"

"What?" the Time Lord ran over to join them looking up as well.

"They took my son," Jackson grabbed his arm, "No wonder my mind escaped. Those damned Cybermen, they took my child! But he's alive, Doctor. Frederick!"

"Come on!" the Doctor turned and shouted up to the boy.

"He's too scared," Ari breathes.

"Stay there!" Jackson shouted up to his son, "Don't move! I'm coming," he runs towards the stairs that would have lead up to the platform but only to get thrown backwards by an explosion, fire now blocking his path. The Doctor comes to his aid, helping the man up as Ari examined her surroundings, "I can't get up there. Fred!"

"They've finished with the motor," the Doctor stated in warning, just as the alarms started going off, "It's going to blow up."

"What are we going to do, Doctor?" he takes his arm, "What are we going to do?"

"I just had an idea!" Ariana called. Just as they see her running over, grabbing a small blade off the floor and wrapping her arm around a rope.

"Ari!" the Doctor called out in fear, about to go after her. But she never heard him. Boy was he going to be angry with her after this.

Cutting the rope, the weight attached to it fell, pulling her upwards, coming face to face with the boy, "Hi," she greeted the boy breathlessly, crouching before him, "Fredrick, right?" Ari asked, as he gave a nod, "Excellent. Now, hold on tight kid!" standing up, the boy clung onto her back and neck, as she grabbed the rope, "Don't let go!"

The boy nodded as she swung off the platform to another nearby. Almost not sticking the landing but runs down the stairs and over to Jackson giving him his son, "Merry Christmas!"

Ari gets spun around meeting the red angry face of her boyfriend, "Do think that was clever what you just did?" he demanded of her.

"I was thinking that it was more fun than clever," she replied nonchalantly with a shrug.

He tugged her forwards, kissing her roughly, "Don't scare me like ever again!"

She only but smirked, knowing it to be a natural reaction from their Bond, neither did well when their mate was in danger or got hurt. She let his warmth spread through from his concern, it was rather cute to get him worried like that.

"We'll see about that," she replied, when there's a sudden small explosion, "But for now let's get outta this place before it blows," Ari takes her mates hand and pulled him towards the tunnel, as the four of them navigated around fires and explosions.

 **-Doctor Who-**

They emerged back in the cellar of Jackson's house once more, along with his carrying his son Fredrick followed by Ariana and the Doctor, "Head for the street," he called to the man.

He now looked back seeing Ari crouched before the device, jiggling it about until the lights changed and something jumped up, "Gotcha!" she exclaimed as her mate grabbed the scepter-like device.

"Come on, Doctor!" Jackson shouted when another explosion hits, "Ariana! Hurry up!"

They run outside, following him through the streets, running until they reached the banks of the river and see the monstrous machine emerging from it.

"It's a CyberKing," the Doctor gasped just as they come to a halt.

"And a CyberKing is what?" Jackson looked over at him in confusion.

"It's a ship," he quickly explains, squeezing Ari's hand, "Dreadnought class. Front line of an invasion. And inside the chest, a Cyberfactory, ready to convert millions."

The machine was now walking through the streets of London, firing beams, causing absolute panic. People running through the streets screaming.

"Take him south. Go to the parkland," the Doctor now ordered looking over to Jackson and his son as he took his mates hand.

"But where are you going?!" he demanded.

"We need to stop that thing," the Time Lady replied.

"But I should be with you!"

"Jackson, you've got your son," the Time Lord reasoned with him softly, "You've got a reason to live."

"And you haven't?"

The Doctor felt his hand being squeezed by Ari who he now looked down in answer to, knowing she wouldn't ever leave him. These people, and each other, they were reason enough, "We've got to go because we have to."

Jackson looked between the couple, seeing that drive inside them to protect and help one another, to protect and defend the Earth, "God save you, Doctor, Ariana."

They smiled at the man before running off still hand in hand, arriving back at the stables. As they now rummaged through the trunks and suitcases just when Jed approached the pair.

"What the hell is that thing?" he eyed the odd object nearby.

"Oh, good man," the Doctor stopped what he was doing and glanced up, "Jed, wasn't it? Jed, I need your help!" he pulls out another set of infostamps.

"I'm not going out there!" he denied with a shake of his head.

"Not even if you would do it for fiver?" Ari offered, with an raised eyebrow.

"Uh..." it looked like he was struggling with the temptation of the offer before caving with a sigh, "All right. What do you want me to do?"

"The TARDIS is going to fly!" the Time Lord announced just as his mate grabbed the sceptre, out into the stables yard, chucking that and the infostamps inside the basket of the hot-air ballon, helping Ari get inside it, before hopping in himself.

"You're flaming bonkers, sir! You too miss!"

"It's been said before!"

"It's no fun being sane," Ariana agreed distracted with the sceptre she's looking at, "Power is low."

"Come on! Jed, let her loose!"

Jed now goes around to the ropes that secured the balloon and began to untie each one, "Ever flown one of these before?"

"Nope!" he shouted, just as he pulled the ropes inside, "Never!"

"Can I have my money now?" the young man asked watching on with concern.

"Oh, get on with it!"

Jed unties the last rope and the balloon lifts off, floating upwards, "Good luck to you!"

Ariana untied sandbags on her of the basket, letting them fall, sending the balloon higher as her mate does the same on the other side. The Doctor passed his sonic to her quickly, wrapping the stamps around his arm. She took a quick glance around seeing they have reached chest height with the Cyberking, just as it turned in their direction to face them. She flashed the sonic at the stamps around him getting them all connected.

"Excellent," they heard Miss Hartigan's voice calling over, "The Doctor. Yet another man come to assert himself against me in the night."

"Miss Hartigan? we're offering you a choice," the Doctor called across to her, "You might have the most remarkable mind this world has ever seen. Strong enough to control the Cybermen themselves!"

"I don't need you to sanction me."

"No," the Time Lady agreed, stepping forward, "But a mind that exceptional...deserves to live! The Cybermen came to this time using this, a Dimension vault..." she helped up the device, "We can use it again, to find you a home, with nobody to convert, but a new world where you can live out the rest of your mechanical life in peace."

"I have the world below, and it is abundant with so many minds ready to become extensions of me," she gave a heartless laugh, "Why would I leave this place?"

"Because if you don't," the Doctor finished with a swallow, "We'll have to stop you."

"What do you make of me, sir?" She glared at the man, "An idiot?"

"No," Ari replied for him, "The question is, what do you make of us?"

The Doctor aimed the infostamps at the woman.

"Destroy them!"

"You make me into this!" the Time Lord shouts, preparing to aim again.

 _"Us Kas ,"_ she whispered to him in their mother tongue, placing her hand on top of his.

He looked down at her, she never sounded and looked more beautiful to him now than ever as he gazes into her eyes before turning back to fire a beam of energy to the device around Miss Hartigan's. A few moments later the beam retracted and it appeared to have unharmed her.

"Then I have made you a failure," Miss gave laughed, "Your weapons are useless!"

"We're not trying to kill you," Ariana tried explaining to her.

"All we did was break the Cyber-connection, leaving your mind open," the Doctor continued, "Open, I think, for the first time in far too many years. So you can see."

"Take a good look at yourself Miss Hartigan," Ari shook her head in sadness, "Look at what you've done. Look at what you've let yourself become."

Miss Hartigan's eyes widen in shock soon as they cleared of them of the darkness that had blinded her realising what she's become, what would happen to her now, strapped into a chair she's no longer in control of. She began to scream in agony as the energy from her brain traveled throughout the machinery not only destroying herself but the Cybermen too.

Now the Cyberking, withouta controller, begins to stagger, explosions going off inside it's body.

"It's going to fall and kill everyone I have to do something!" the Time Lady shouted, knowing she need to put her powers to the test reaching out her hand, a look of pure concentration upon her face only for the Doctor to pull her back.

"Ari no!" he called, eyes wide with terror and concern knowing what she was planning to do was too risky for her to use her powers after the first few weeks of her regenerating, "It's too dangerous!"

"I've gotta stop it from collapsing till this," she held up the sceptre to him, "Is charged up," she pulled him forwards and kissed him, "I know it's been awhile but I can do it I know I can," turning back, Ariana reached out her hand using her telekinetic powers for first time in many years trying to keep the Cyberking from falling, locking it limbs wherever necessary, when it started to stumble.

The Doctor glanced between her and the sceptre, not being able to do anything but wait it out. He saw her starting to shake slightly and blood trailing down from her nose when the sceptre starts beeping in his hand. Quickly stepping beside her and aimed it, shooting at the Cyberking, catching it inside the beams when it began to fall.

Soon as it had gone, the Time Lord instantly dropped the sceptre and turned to Ariana who was leaning heavily on the balloons basket. He tugged her away from it, carefully kneeling onto the floor with her and getting her to sit, leaned back. Reaching out he wiped the blood away from her face with the sleeve of his coat.

"You ok?" he asked checking her over for any damage, "You...?"

"Shh..." Ariana places a finger on his lips to stop him fussing, "Can you hear that?"

Now falling silent, he listened as the sound of cheers and applause drifted up to his ears from the streets below.

"That's all for you Doc," she told him, as he looked to see her smiling back at him, "All of that's just for you."

Giving him a forceful nudge, he stood and saw people cheering him on from below. The clapping now started to sound much closer. He glanced downward to see is girlfriend clapping for him to, pride sparkling in her eyes directed at him. Smiling he looked down at the crowds of people, waving at them. With a laugh, ringing the balloons bell as the cheering grew louder.

When he noticed something.

He crouched down and gently guided Ari to stand up, "Just look at that..."

Ariana looked down at the city from the sky, with a few fires scattered here and there that had appeared, it was absolutely stunning, "It's very beautiful..." she breathed.

"Oh, I definitely agree," he said. Getting the feeling he wasn't talking about the town, she gazed up at him only for his eyes to be staring back at her in admiration. Blushing she leaned into his side, resting her head upon his shoulder as they in the view.

The balloon didn't stay up in the air for much longer, touching down half an hour later before touching down beside the river bank. Getting hounded by scores of people cheering and thanking them, only Jackson but managed to worm his way through to the front and pull the couple away. They were walking through the market that was getting cleared up, heading towards the TARDIS, the real TARDIS.

"The city will recover, as London always does," Jack said as he walked with them, "Though the events of today will be history, spoken of for centuries to come!"

"Yeah," the Doctor nodded, "Funny that."

"And a new history begins for me. I find myself a widower, but with my son and with a good friend," he looked over his shoulder to see Rosita with his son Fredrick, with Jed standing nearby.

"Now, take care of that one Jackson," Ariana tells him, "She's wonderful."

"Frederick will need a nursemaid and I can think of none better," he agreed with a nod, "But you're welcome to join us, both of you. We thought we might all dine together at the Traveller's Halt..." both of them look away briefly, but he was relentless, "A Christmas feast in celebration, and in memory of those we have lost. You won't stay?"

"You know me," the Time Lord shrugged.

"Wherever he goes, I follow," Ariana added, giving her mates hand a squeeze.

"Oh!" Jack now catches sight of the real TARDIS as they approached her, "And this is it. Oh! Oh, if I might, Doctor. One last adventure?"

"Oh, be my guest," the Doctor opened the doors.

"Oh," the man beamed, stepping inside and pausing on the ramp, "Oh my word. Oh," he approached the console just as they followed in behind him, "Oh, goodness me. Well. But this is, but this is nonsense."

"Well, that's one word for it."

"She's is spectacular," Ariana smiled, looking around with appreciation.

Jackson agreed with a nod, "Complete and utter, wonderful nonsense. How very, very silly. Oh, no..." he shook his head as if in pain, "I can't bear it. Oh, it's causing my head to ache. No. No, no, no, no, no, no," he turned and went running back out of the TARDIS, rather overwhelmed, "Oh! Oh, gracious. That's quite enough," both the Doctor and Ariana stepped out closing the door behind them, "I take it this is goodbye."

"Onwards and upwards," the Time Lord nodded.

"Tell me one thing. All those facts and figures I saw of the Doctor's life, you were never alone. All those bright and shining companions. Ariana...you're not are you?" he glanced at the woman, gathering there was something different about her.

"No," Ari replied, "I'm just like him," she nodded to her mate, "A Time Lady."

His eyes widened considerably. All that information he had learned about the Doctor, having thought he was the last. But now smiled, because the Doctor wasn't alone no more, "So...no companions then?"

The Doctor brought his mates hand up and kissed the back of it, "No."

Ariana smiled up at him before looking back to Jackson, "Not for now at least."

"Might I ask, why not?" he asked them with a frown.

The Doctor gave a sigh, "They leave. Because they should. Or they find someone else. And some of them, some of them forget me...others get badly hurt...I suppose, in the end...they break my heart."

Ari links her arm with her mate, hugging him into her side, knowing how hard it has been for him to have all his companions together again only to say farewell to them again. She knew Alice was one of those people he would never, ever forget. Because she had brought him hope and taught him how to love again. But most of important of all she gave the Doctor Ariana something they are both thankful for.

"Christmas dinner," she began looking up at her boyfriend, "Sounds great, don't you think sweetie? We deserve to have a bit of fun after all."

Jackson gave a firm nod, "That offer, it's no longer a request, it's a demand."

"In memory of those we've lost," the Doctor glanced over at him, who nodded, and to Ariana, with an expectant look, "I'll never hear the end of it if you both say no, will I?"

"No," the Time Lady wagged a finger at her mate, "Because you know how much I love period trips."

The Doctor laughed, "Oh, go on then!"

"Really?" Jackson gave a pleased smile.

"Just this once," he said, more to his girlfriend than Jackson before turning to the man, "You've actually gone and changed my mind."

"Live in the moment Jackson," Ari tells him, "Some have never got him to do that before!"

The Doctor agreed with a nod, "Jackson, if anyone had to be the Doctor, I'm glad it was you."

Jackson gave a cheery laugh, "The feast awaits! Come with me. Walk this way."

The Doctor checked the TARDIS doors, making sure it was locked before taking Ari's hand, "We most certainly will!"

The woman laughed as they followed him down the path, "Merry Christmas Jackson!"

"Merry Christmas!" the Doctor now replied with a happy smile.

"Merry Christmas indeed!" Jackson returned with a beaming smile.

The Doctor laughed, bringing Ariana's arm to tuck in his as he pulled out something form his coat pocket and held it out to her. Her eyes widen as she sees the small square package, green with a red bow tied on top, "What's is this?" she raised an eyebrow at him.

"Just open it you'll see," he grinned back at her.

She gave him another look before frantically tearing the bow and paper away, rather excited to see what was inside. He laughed, finding it rather cute at how eager she was recalling how she was like that when she was a child. He just was praying that she liked it.

Ariana gave a surprised gasp, eyes widening as she saw her locket inside. It was small , round and silver her name carved in Gallifreyian the very one he had given to her a long time ago. She looked up at him questionably.

"I just couldn't image you without it," he shrugged, "So I fixed it for you..."

She smiled, reaching up to touch the back of her neck realising how wrong it felt not to have it there having it got almost got completely destroyed from her regeneration. She looked to him, "Could you put it on me?" she asked, turning and lifting her hair up.

Taking it out of the box he placed the locket around her, clipping it into place as he saw the joy in her eyes, "Do you like it?"

 _"It's beautiful Kas I love it,"_ she whispered, before leaning in and giving him a peck on the lips, _"Only...I haven't got anything to give to you..."_

He brushes a strand out of her face, _"It's ok, I planned this trip,"_ he reminds her. He had been keeping his fingers crossed, hoping, to get somewhere at Christmas, an excuse to give her the renewed locket.

 _"But I feel that..."_

 _"Please,"_ he cuts her off, looking at her fondly as they stopped following Jackson, _"Ariana..."_ he whispered, his tone slightly serious, _"You've already given me the most amazing gift that I've always wished for..."_ she frowned unsure what he meant, _"You've given me our Bond,"_ he tells her, _"You've given me this...this chance for us to have a connection and I never dreamed it would happen. You have done it for me out of love. Now..."_ he smiled, _"Now I'm going to return that love...I can't ask for a better gift than that."_

Smiling, her eyes filled with tears as she wrapped her arms around his neck and brought him into a deep loving kiss. Not noticing Jackson smiling warmly nearby at the sight of the couple ironically kissing underneath the bunch of mistletoe hanging above them.


	3. Planet of the Dead Part 1

**Text Key**

 _'Telepathic communication'_

 _"Gallifreyian"_

 **-Doctor Who-** chapter break

Both Ariana and the Doctor walked through the busy London streets, trying to track down a hole in that appeared in the fabric of reality that the TARDIS had detected. Only problem it was like looking for a needle in a haystack as the tear was the size of a thumbnail. Not that it bothered either of them. The Time Lord had been ecstatic about making it for the Easter holidays on Earth, as they both shared the remains of a chocolate egg as they walked.

With no luck finding the hole, they make their way back to the TARDIS to get a more correct location, so, being on the other side of town, they do what any other human would do to get home. By taking a nice ride back on the bus as one was just pulling up.

The pair stepped through the bus doors, giving the driver a friendly smile, "You're just in time," the driver returned his smile to them just as he shuts the bus doors.

Pulling out his psychic paper he flashed it on the Oyster Card reader twice for both of them before heading down into the bus. He turned, motioning for Ariana to slide into the seat beside the window in an empty row of seats and sat himself beside her.

The Time Lady looked around the bus, curious of the people around her. There was a young black man, a middle aged black couple near the back of the bus, a middle aged blonde in front on them and a young woman sat across the aisle from them with black hair.

"Hello!" the Doctor greeted the young woman, "I'm the Doctor, this is Ariana!" he offers out what's remaining of the chocolate egg, "Happy Easter!"

Ari laughed, leaning over her boyfriend to take another piece of chocolate as the woman watched both of them, startled, she couldn't blame the woman, the Doctor could come across very shocking to people at times.

The started moving again and heads off a moment later as she sighed, leaned against her boyfriends arm to remain closer to him but also so she could, if need be, talk to dark haired woman who was hesitant taking a bit of chocolate.

"The funny thing is," he continued, wanting to make conversation, winding his free arm around Ari's shoulders, "I don't often do Easter. I can never find it. It's always at a different time. Although I remember the original. Between you and me, what really happened was."

She jolts slightly, drawing his attention, just as she hears the beep, "Oh," she laughed nervously, "Sorry..." she turned to the Doctor, "Have you got the detector?"

"Ah!" his eyes widen, turning to rummage about in his pockets until he realised he was still holding the chocolate. He turned to the young woman across from them and handed it over to her, "Want to hold that for me?"

"Actually, keep it if you like,"Ari smiled as he dug into his coat pocket, "Finish it. Go on!"

The Doctor nodded absently, still patting down his pockets for the device she had put together, "It's full of sugar and I'm determined to keep these teeth," baring his full mouth of pristine teeth, "This one loves my teeth," he turned to wink at his mate handing her the odd looking device as it beeps, "Oh, we've got excitation!"

Ari laughed, "Look at the readings. I'm picking up something very strange."

He reached out to grab and tried holding it against his ear but Ari swatted his hands off it and takes it back.

"I know the feeling..." the young woman muttered, eyeing the man in a suit and the woman in dark ripped jeans, red top and leather jacket.

"Rhondium particles, that's what we're looking for," the Doctor explained to the young woman, "This thing detects them," Ari flicked the small toggle on the device and a small dish type radar popped out, "Look, this should go round, that little dish there."

"Right now, a way out would come in pretty handy. Can you detect me one of those?"

"Ah, the little dish is going round!"

"Fascinating."

"Sweetie..." Ariana began with a frown, "I don't think that's a good thing," then as if, agreeing with her thoughts, the device sparked and started to smoke.

"Excuse me. Do you mind?" the blonde woman in front of them remarked.

"Sorry, that was our little dish," the Doctor waved off with an apology just the dish began making a high pitched squeaking noise.

"Can't you turn that thing off?" the young dark haired woman demanded.

"Sorry, your name is..." the Time Lady looked up to her.

"Christina."

Ari stands up, "Now Christina, you better hold on tight!" She shouted, taking hold of the railing as the Doctor stands as well, "Everyone, hold on!"

The bus violently jolted forwards, throwing the passengers out of their seats. The Doctor and Ariana go flying into the aisle, getting thrown almost halfway to the front of the bus. The Doctor reaches out and pulls his girlfriend towards him, half covering her when the windows smashed and lights flared throughout.

"What's going on?" a young man shouted, falling down the stairs from the upper deck.

A blinding, white light filled the bus, forcing everyone to cover their eyes...and suddenly, it was over. The light begins to fade revealing a bright day just outside when it had been in the evening moments earlier. The Doctor rose slowly, guiding Ariana to her feet as they stared out the windows to a desert plane ahead of them. They headed to the front of the bus, the Doctor forcing open the doors.

"End of the line," he stepped foot out onto the sand, Ari and Christina following behind, "Call it a hunch, but I think we've gone a little bit further than Brixton."

 **-Doctor Who-**

"This really very bad," the Time Lady shook her head, looking at their surroundings. The landscape was barren, there are three suns, and the bus now reduced to a smoking wreck with almost collapsed rooftop, wheels buried deep into the sand.

The other passengers get out save the black people, as they looked around.

The Time Lord walked off a short distance and knelt in the sand, Ariana coming to join him as he pulled on his glasses. Reaching out she picked up a handful of sand as she lit it trick through her fingers.

"It's impossible," they hear the blonde woman say, "There are three suns. Three of them!"

"Like when all those planets were up in the sky," the black boy mentions.

"But it was Earth that moved back then, wasn't it?" the other young man asked.

"Oh, man, we're on another world!"

"It's still intact, though," the driver informed looking the bus over, "Not as bad as it looks, and the chassis's still holding together. My boss is going to murder me."

"Can you still drive it?" the older lady asked.

"Oh no, no, no. The wheels are stuck. Look at them, they're never going to budge."

"Ready for every emergency," Christina remarked as she came and joined the Time Lords. Who looked up to see her putting on some sunglasses.

Ari reached into her mates coat and took out the sonic, took off his glasses and soniced them to make them tinted before putting them back on him. He gave her a thankful grin before glancing over at Christina, "Me too!"

"And what's your name again?

"I'm the Doctor. This is Ariana."

"Name, not rank."

"The Doctor," he responded with a nod.

"Surname?"

"Just the Doctor,'" Ariana repeated more clearly to her.

"You're called 'the Doctor?'"

"Yes, I am," he offered with a smile.

"That's not a name. That's a psychological condition."

"This sand doesn't feel right..." Ari cuts in, to tradition of the arguments that always followed after he introduced himself as 'the Doctor,' "There's something here, just a trace of...oh come on what have I told you about doing that!"

But it was too late now. The Time Lord had a few grains of sand in his hand and tasted them. He immediately starts to gag, wagging his tongue about to now remove the taste, "Bleagh, bleagh, bleagh, bleagh, bleagh. Blah. Not good."

 _'You aren't gonna be kissing me until you get some mouthwash,'_ Ari informed him silently.

"Well, it wouldn't be. It's sand," Christina reacted to his actions, staring at him as if he were stark raving bonkers.

"No, it tastes like..." he trails off and shares a look with his mate.

 _'It tastes of death,'_ she realised, seeing it inside his mind.

He inhales sharply and stands up, pulling Ari to her feet, "Never mind."

 _'No use in getting everyone anxious,'_ he adds to her.

 _'I wouldn't speak to soon,'_ she returned.

"What is it?" Christina asked, picking up on it, "What's wrong?"

"Hold on a minute. I saw you!" the young black man stormed towards them, gesturing a finger at Ariana. The Doctor about to stand in front of her only for her to lightly take his arm and keep him beside her, "You had that thing, that machine. Did you make this happen?"

The Doctor now laughed, seeing that his mate wasn't being threatened, "Oh finally! A human on a bus isn't blaming me!"

She shook her head at her boyfriend before turning to face the passengers, "We are trying to find a hole in the fabric of reality."

"Call it a hobby if you will," the Doctor shrugged.

"A tiny little thing, I promise, completely harmless...but it seems to have gotten bigger. We drove right through it and..."

"But then where is it?" the diver asked, "There's nothing. There's just sand."

"All right," the Doctor marches forward, in the direction the bus had come from, "You want proof? We drove through this..." picking up a heap of sand he flung it in the air, revealing a ripple in the sky like water in an ocean.

"And that's?" Christina asked them looking equally shocked as the other passengers at the ripple.

"A door," the Time Lady offered with a sigh, "A door in space."

"So what you're saying is, on the other side of that is home?" the driver asked pointing at it, "We can get to London through there?"

"The bus came through," the Doctor informed with a shake of his head, coming back over to join Ariana, "But we can't."

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" the driver exclaimed, oblivious to what had been said ran towards the portal.

"No, no, don't!"

"I'm going home, mate!"

"I said don't!" the Doctor chased after him. As Ari held out her hands, trying to put up a wall with her powers, only she wasn't quick enough and the driver had already reached the portal.

There's a terrifying scream as they all watch the man be destroyed by the portals energy, tearing him apart only to leave his skeleton remaining, falling through the other side, making the Time Lady wince from the sight.

"He was a skeleton, man," the black youth said rather horrified, "He was bones. Just bones!"

The Doctor looked around feeling rather uneasy.

 _'It's my fault I tried to stop him,_ ' he hears Ariana whispering. Looking to see her gazing at the portal with guilt, _'But I just wasn't quick enough.'_

 _'Ari it wasn't your fault,'_ the Doctor comforted her, pulling her into his side and an arm around her.

Taking a deep breath she nodded into his shoulder before looking up, "The bus. Look at the damage. That was the bus protecting us."

"Great big box of metal," the Doctor added in agreement.

"Rather like a Faraday cage?" Christina supplied in comment.

"Like in a thunderstorm, yeah?" the other young man called over as he comforted the older woman, "Safest place is inside a car, 'cos the metal conducts the lightning right through. We did it in school."

"But if we can only travel back inside the bus?" Christina eyed the vehicle, "A Faraday cage needs to be closed. That thing's been ripped wide open."

"Well, slightly different dynamics with a wormhole," the Doctor pondered aloud in thought, "There's enough metal to make it work, I think. I hope!"

"Then we have to drive five tons of bus, which is currently buried in the sand, and we've got nothing but our bare hands. Correct?"

"I'd say there's more than nine and a half tons here," Ari commented, "But the point still stands, yes."

Christian agreed with a nod, "Then we need to apply ourselves to the problem with discipline. Which starts with appointing a leader."

The Doctor gave a nod as well, taking a step up, "Yes. At last. Thank you, so..."

"Well, thank goodness you've got me," the young woman cuts in, just as Ariana barley managed to contain her snort form the shocked look on her mates face, "Everyone do exactly as I say. Inside the bus immediately."

"Is it safe in there?" the other young man asked.

"I don't think anything's safe any more," Christina stated matter-of-factly, "But if it's a choice between baking in there or roasting out here, I'd say baking is slower. Come on. All of you. Right now," the blonde woman scuttled off up towards the bus, followed by the other young man as Christina turned her gaze to the Doctor and Ariana, "And you. Ariana and the Doctor."

The Time Lady grinned widely, pulling her boyfriend towards the bus, _'I like this girl.'_

"Yes, ma'am," the Time Lord nodded, now more amused about it than offended.

"Up!" Christina called to the young black man still sitting on the ground, "Come on!" doing so he dragged himself over following the others inside the bus.

 **-Doctor Who-**

The young woman immediately got to work, taking charge of the situation and sets out some guidelines and goals that needed to be achieved. Ari was currently leaning against the Doctor's shoulder, looking out of the bus window as Christina spoke, at the same time trying to listen, but also trying keep her bearings in order based on the landscape outside and the three suns.

"...point 5: The crucial thing is, do not panic," Christina said, "Quite apart from anything else, the smell of sweat inside this thing is reaching atrocious levels. We don't need to add any more. Point 6: Team identification. Names. I'm Christina. This man is apparently the Doctor."

"Hello," he gave a wave and grinned.

"Ariana, nice to meet you," the Time Lady greeted with a nod.

Christina nodded and turned the young man next to her, "And you?"

"Nathan," he gave a small wave.

"I'm Barclay," the young black man spoke next.

"Angela," the blonde introduced herself, "Angela Whittaker."

"My name's Louis," the older gentleman of the couple said, "Everyone calls me Lou. And..." he nodded to the woman beside him, "This is Carmen."

"Excellent," Christina said with a nod, "Memorise those names. There might be a test. Point 7: Assessment and application of knowledge," she looked in the direction of the Doctor and Ariana, "Over to you, Ariana and the Doctor."

Ariana blinked, "Why us?" she and her mate said in unison, "I thought you were in charge!"

The young woman grinned smugly at them, "I am. And a good leader utilises her strength. You both seem to be the brainbox. So, start boxing."

"Right..." the Doctor begins slowly, swinging his legs over and standing up, pulling his girlfriend with him, "So..." he looked to her for guidance, unsure where to start.

"The wormhole," she started, "We were all in the wrong place at the wrong time."

The Time Lord nodded, "It was just an accident."

"No," Carmen interrupted, "it...it...wasn't. That thing..."she pointed to the wormhole, "The doorway? Someone made it for a reason."

"How do you know?"

She looked away, feeling rather embarrassed that nobody will believe her. Sensing this, Lou takes over, "She's got a gift. Ever since she was a little girl, she can just tell things. We do the lottery twice a week."

"You don't look like millionaires," Christina remarked dismissively.

"No," he agreed with the young woman, "But we win ten pounds. Every week, twice a week, ten pounds," he shakes his head, "Don't tell me that's not a gift."

"Tell me, Carmen, how many fingers am I holding up?" the Doctor asked her, smiling at Ari while he held up three fingers behind his back.

"Three," she answered without hesitation, "Four," she corrected as he changed his fingers.

"Very good," the Time Lady replied, turning back to face her mate, having gotten a reading off the woman's mind, "Psychic ability, exacerbated by an alien sun."

He nodded, "What can you see, Carmen? Tell us, what's out there?"

Carmen looked a little spaced out before responding to them, "Something, something is coming. Riding on the wind, and shining."

"What is it?" Ariana asked, laying a consoling hand on her shoulder, seeing that she was growing rather more tense.

She looked up to her fear within her eyes, "Death. Death is coming."

"We're going to die!" Angela gasped.

"I knew it, man," Barclay started to panic, "I said so!"

"We can't die out here," Nathan shook his head, "No one's gonna find us."

"This isn't exactly helping," Christina spoke up.

"You can shut up too," snapped at her giving her a glare, "We're not your soldiers."

That's when the mass hysteria set in, everyone talking over each other and crying.

"That's not doing any good!" Christina shouted over them but failed to get their attention.

"All right now, stop it," the Time Lord called out, "Everyone, stop it!" he tried again, but nobody seemed to of heard him.

Having enough Ariana rolled her eyes, stood up and put two fingers into her mouth letting out a high pitched whistle, "Hey!" followed with a shout, "Everybody quite!"

Which in turn silenced the whole bus, mostly shocked at the set of lungs she had on her. They continued to stare at her as she walked over to Angela who was sobbing and knelt down before her.

"Hey, hey, hey," she began soothingly, "Angela, look at me," she looked up with tears in her eyes, "Just tell me something, When you got on this bus, where were you going?"

"Doesn't matter now, does it?" she swallowed in response.

Ari smiled softly at her, "Yes, it dose so just tell me."

"Just home," Angela shrugged.

"And what's home?"

"Me and Mike. And Suzanne. That's my daughter. She's eighteen."

"Suzanne," Ariana nodded, "That's a beautiful name," Angela smiled slightly, now feeling a little more calm as Ari stands up. Looking over she sees her boyfriend smiling at her with pride before she turned her attention to Barclay, "What about you?"

"Dunno," the young man shrugged, "Going round Tina's."

"Tina?" the Doctor asked with interest, following along with his mates plan, "Your girlfriend?"

"Not yet."

"Good boy!" the Time Lord laughed, with a cheeky grin and turned to Nathan, "What about you, Nathan?"

"Bit strapped for cash," he sighed, "I lost my job last week. I was going to stay in and watch TV."

"Brilliant!" Ariana smiled and then turned to Lou and Carmen, "What about you two?"

"I was going to cook," Lou told her.

"It's his turn tonight," Carmen added with a smile, "Then I clear up."

"What's for tea?" the Time Lady asked with genuine interest.

"Chops," Lou simply replied, "Nice couple of chops and gravy. Nothing special."

"Oh, that's special," the Doctor cut in, "That is so special. Chops and gravy, mmm..." he gets lost in thought a little and turned to his girlfriend, "We should rustle up some chops soon as we get back."

 _'Yes because I know what a excellent chef you are,'_ she tells him sarcastically, rolling her eyes at him which he returned.

"What about you, Christina?" she now turned to the young woman.

Christina is a little startled by the question, "I was going..." she started with a sigh, "So far away."

"Far away. Chops and gravy. Watching TV. Mike and Suzanne and poor old Tina," the Doctor repeated back.

"Hey!" Barclay laughed with a smile.

He now turned to the young man, "Word of advice, never wait," he glanced over at his mate, with an appreciative gaze, "Never ever wait."

Ariana turned away before she started blushing and look around at the passengers, "Just always think of them."

"Because that planet out there," the Doctor nodded to the landscape outside, walked over to stand with his mate, "With three suns, wormholes and alien sand, that planet is nothing. You hear me? Nothing!"

"That's right absolutely nothing compares to all those wonderful things waiting for you at home," Ari finished off, "Hold on to that. Because we will get you back," she shared a look with her mate, smiling before turning back, "We promise. We'll get all of you home."

The pairs tiny speech seemed to get through to the passengers as they all sprang to their feet ready to help.

 **-Doctor Who-**

It ended up, with Carmen and Lou remaining inside the bus. Whilst Barclay and Nathan went up to the top deck to find metal plates from the bus to fashion out a ramp of sorts as Angela volunteered to work at the front of the bus. Which left the Doctor, Ariana who had since took off her leather jacket, and Christina to go outside and examine what they had.

"Here we go!" Barclay announced as both he and Nathan carried down some panelling.

"That's my boys!" Ariana laughed, having told the young men to grab said panels, "Just lay a flat surface between the bus and the wormhole, like duckboards, and we reverse into it."

"Let some air out of the tyres," called over to them, "Just a little bit. It spreads the weight of the bus, gives you more grip against the sand."

"Oh, that's good," the Doctor said rather looking at her rather impressed, just as his mate was.

"Holidays in the Kalahari."

"Yeah, but those wheels go deep," Barclay informed going over to inspect them.

"Then start digging."

"With what?"

"With this..." reaching into her backpack and pulling out shovel that had a foldable handle. The Doctor took it, unfolded it and handed it over to Barclay.

"Anything else you got in there?" the Time Lady asked, looking the backpack over with amusement, considering it must be like the Doctor's pockets, bigger on the inside, to fit everything in there.

"Try that..." Christiana brings a small axe out and passes it to Nathan, "It might help with the seats."

"Thanks," Nathan headed back towards the bus.

Both the Doctor and his girlfriend stood there, rather impressed, when Angela calls for their attention, "I can't find the keys!"

The Time Lord turned and headed back towards the door, "Oh no, buses don't have keys. There's a master switch, then it's one button to start, the other one to stop, yeah?"

"Right. Hold on," Angela looks down, "Oh, I've got it," she flipped the switch, turning on the engine, "Here we go. Hold tight. Ding, ding!" she put her foot down on the accelerator and pushed the button. The bus rumbled only for a few seconds before cutting out with a grinding noise.

"Oh, that doesn't sound too good," the Doctor commented just as Ariana walked over to the engine that was smoking and looked only to find sand everywhere.

"Great," Ari sighed and shook her head, "The engine's clogged up."

Christina stepped back and headed backwards towards the boys who are still laying the panels, "Anyone know mechanics?"

"Me," Barclay answered as he stood, "I did a two week NVQ at the garage. Never finished it, but..."

"I'll help you," Ariana muttered looking down at the engine, "Two heads are better..."

But the Doctor tugged his girlfriend up gently, "You're coming with me," he smiled down at her, "I need my other head," she shook her head and giggled as they walked over towards Christina, "Off you go, then!"

"Try stripping the air filter," Ariana called over to the young man, "Fast as you can."

"We'll be back in two ticks," the Doctor informed over his shoulder.

"Wait a minute!" Christina runs after the couple, "You're the ones with all the answers. I'm not letting you out of my sight."

 **-Doctor Who-**

They couldn't really argue with their self appointed leader as the trio walked through the desert, searching for any signs of civilisation. But it seemed half a mile in they noticed Christina had her backpack in possession.

"Wouldn't it be much easier if you left that backpack behind at the bus?" Ariana commented giving the young woman a questionable gaze.

"Where I go, it goes," she simply replied.

"A backpack with a spade and an axe," the Doctor remarked also getting suspicious, "Christina, who's going so far away, and yet scared by the sound of a siren. Who are you?"

"You can talk! Let's just say we're two equal mysteries," the young woman scoffed.

"We make quite a team."

"We make no sort of team, thank you very much. Come on then. Tell me. If Carmen's right, if that wormhole's not an accident, then what is it? Has someone done this on purpose?"

They all stop walking, "I don't know," the Doctor admitted squeezing his girlfriends hand, "But every single instinct of mine is telling me to get us off this planet right now."

And they would.

There was something inside telling him there's danger here on this planet, that everyone was in danger...because that wouldn't work with a Bonded meaning putting their life in danger also. Frankly it put him on edge as he felt a pit beginning to form in his stomach. Even when having gotten into trouble back at home. Is this what Ari felt at times when he got them into certain sticky situations?

 _'Ok, yes,'_ she responded simply, _'But can you please stop worrying.'_

 _'I'm sorry it's hard not to,'_ he returned.

She casually shrugged, _'I've gotten used to you're antics by now Kas.'_

 _'But how?'_ he asked, wondering how she's dealt with it? Just as he felt his hearts starting to unclench from the danger that's just out of his line of sight.

She smiled warmly, giving him some reassurance, _'You can trust your Bonded can look out for themselves and take some comfort knowing you are helping them,'_ she squeezed his hand, _'Because everything is going to be ok.'_

But she was here now that's all that mattered, and so was he, together she truly believed they would get out of any dangerous situation together, protect one another. Everything would be fine.

"And do you think we can?" Christina's voice reaches them, snapping them back from their conversation.

"We live in hope," the Doctor replied.

"That must be nice," Christiana commented sullenly, before turning to them, "It's Christina de Souza," she held out her hand, "To be precise, Lady Christina de Souza."

"Oh, that's handy," the Doctor shook her hand with a grin.

"I'm a Lady too," Ariana smiled.

"And I'm a Lord."

"Seriously?" she asked shaking Ariana's hand, "Of where?"

"It's quite a big estate," the Doctor shrugged, wanting to wave the question off.

Christina eyed them closely with a frown "No, but there's something more about you," she looked to Ariana, "That device you were carrying, and the wormhole. Like you knew..." then looked to the Doctor, "And the way you stride around this place, like..."

"...like?"

 _'Like you own it,'_ the Time Lady mocked with a laugh.

"Like you're not quite..."

The Doctor paused, eyeing her with suspicion again, before turning away, "Anyway, come on. Allons-y!"

"Oui, mais pas si nous allons vers un cauchemar," Christina returned with a grin. (Yes, but not if we're going into a nightmare.)

The Doctor laughed but instantly stopped when he noticed Ariana had suddenly come to a halt at the crest of dune, "Ari what is it?"

Ariana frowned, as she squinted into the distance at the clouds, "Something that I don't like the look of."

"Storm clouds," Christina gave a shrug, "Must be hundreds of miles away."

"But it's getting closer," the Doctor added

"If that's a sand storm, we'll get ripped to shreds."

"It's a storm," he continued with a nod, "Who says it's sand?"

"No," Ari disagreed with a shake of her head, still eyeing the storm, "It's moving far too quickly to be a storm. So whatever that is we need to get everyone off this planet fast and get far away from it as possible."

They all turned around and ran back towards the bus and away from the suspicious storm.

 **-Doctor Who-**

The Doctor runs back inside the bus with Ariana, followed by Lady Christina and Barclay, "Where is it?"

"There. There on the seat!"

He snatched up the mobile phone from the seat and flashed it over with the sonic, "You're hardly going to get a signal," Christina commented disbelievingly, as she watched him, "We're on another planet."

"Oh, just watch me!" he grinned, putting his sonic away, "Right. Now, bit of hush, thank you. Got to remember the number, very important number," he punched it in and put it on speaker.

"Hello, Pizza Geronimo?" a voice answered.

"How did I get to that?" the Doctor asked staring at the phone.

Ariana comes over snatching the phone from him and input the correct number, "It's 7-6, not 6-7...she muttered, "Honestly, you used to work for these people..." but before even the call went through the phone turned off, "Great, now the phone is dead..."

"What do we do?" Angela asked, concerned.

"Right, has anyone got a phone?" the Doctor looked around at the passengers, "Nobody?"

The Time Lady rolled her eyes stepped up closer to her Bonded, proceeding to search his pockets, "Ok, it ain't in there..."

"Um Ari..." the Doctor asked unsure what to do as he stood still, "What are you..."

"Yes gotcha ya!" she yanked out some sort crude looking device similar to that of a mobile phone.

"When did you do that?" he stared back at her before taking the device.

"Honey, never underestimate that there will always be somebody will have a phone," Ari smirked at him cheekily.

"What?"

"I've programmed it with all the numbers we'll ever need. Torchwood, Martha, Sarah Jane, UNIT...your welcome."

"What!"

She takes his head in her hands and stared into his eyes, "I threw it together just in case we got stuck somewhere without communication. Don't want us having a repeat of what happened at the Medusa Cascade do we? It's only restricted to time, but will work between worlds at least."

Ariana now plucked the makeshift phone out of his hands and pressed '6,' "This is the Unified Intelligence Taskforce," the automated voice spoke over the phone as she handed it back to him.

"You are amazing," he grinned proudly at his mate as the voice continued speaking.

"Please select one of the following four options. If you want to..."

"Oh, I hate these things!"

"If you keep your finger pressed on zero, you get through to a real person," Angela called over in suggestion, "I saw it on Watchdog."

"Thank you, Angela!" He grinned at the woman, before sitting himself down.

"UNIT helpline, which department would you like?" a woman finally answered.

"Listen, this is the Doctor and Ariana! It's us."

"Just a moment sir and I'll transfer you through," the woman told him as soft classical music played while on hold. Both the Time Lords looked at one another because of that.

Not a moment later another woman answered, "Doctor, Ariana..."

"Ari will be just fine thank you," she corrected the woman.

"Certainly ma'am," they hear a swish of fabric, "This is Captain Erisa Magambo. Might I say, sir, ma'am, it's an honour..."

"Did you just salute?" the Doctor asked with a frown.

There was a prolonged silence before Captain Magambo slowly replied, "No."

"Erisa, it's about the bus," Ari cuts in before the Doctor would go into one about saluting, "Are you at the tunnel?"

"And where are you?"

"We're on the bus," the Doctor added, "But apart from that, not a clue, except it's very pretty and pretty dangerous."

"A body came through here," Erisa told them, "Have you sustained any more fatalities?"

"No," Ariana firmly stated, "And we're not going to."

"But we're stuck," the Doctor now cut in, "We haven't got the TARDIS, and we need to analyse that wormhole."

"We have a scientific advisor on site, Dr. Malcolm Taylor," she informed them, "Just the man you need. He's a genius."

"Oh, is he?" the Time Lord scoffed, "We'll see about that."

"Hey, give the guy a chance," Ariana told him lightly with a small nudge, "You never know he might surprise you."

There is silence for another moment and a door shutting, "It's the Doctor and Ariana," they hear the Captain say, but not to them of course.

"No, I'm all right now, thanks," a man replied to her, "It was just a bit of a sore throat. Although I've got to be honest, a cup of tea might be nice..."

"It's the Doctor and Ariana."

"Do you mean...'the Doctor' Doctor?! And the Ariana?" the man repeated, excited and hushed.

"The 'Doctor' doctor?" Ari mocked him with an raised eyebrow in amusement just as he rubbed his eye awkwardly.

"I know. We all want to meet him one day, but we all know what that day will bring."

"You do know we can hear everything you're saying," the Doctor commented dryly.

The same man gasped, "Oh, uh, hello, Doctor? Oh, my goodness!"

"Yes, I am," the Doctor said, rolling his eyes not sounding very enthusiastic, "Hello, Malcolm."

"Nice to meet you Malcolm," Ariana greeted warmly.

"The Doctor! Corblimey! I can't believe I'm actually speaking to you. I mean, I've read all the files."

"Really?" the Doctor smiled at the compliment, "What was your favourite, the giant robot?"

"Doc, we're getting off topic," Ari cut him off with a meaningful look.

"No, no, hold on. Let's sort out that wormhole," he now nodded, briefly glancing at the passengers, "Excuse us," the Time Lords headed over to the drivers seat, turning down the volume a notch so the others couldn't hear without alarming them again, "Malcolm, something's not making sense here. We've got a storm and a wormhole and..." he glanced at his mate, "We both can't help thinking there's a connection. We need a complete full range analysis of that wormhole. The whole thing."

"Well, I've probably got the wrong idea," Malcom starts, "But I've wired up an integrator. I thought it could measure the energy signature."

"No. No, no, no, no, no. That'll never work."

"It's quite extraordinary, though. I'm measuring an oscillation of 15 Malcolms per second."

 _'15 what?'_ Ari frowned.

"15 what?" the Doctor asked what his girlfriend had been thinking.

"15 Malcolms," he responded in explanation, "It's my own little term. A wavelength parcel of 10 kilohertz operating in four dimensions equals one Malcolm."

"You named a unit of measurement after yourself?"

"Well, it didn't do Mister Watt any harm. Furthermore, 100 Malcolms equals a Bernard."

"And who's that your dad?" the Doctor rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Don't be ridiculous. That's Quatermass."

"Right. Fine. But before I die of old age, which in my case would be quite an achievement, so congratulations on that is there anyone else I can talk to?"

He winced after Ariana slapped the back of his head, "Stop being rude the guy is only trying to help."

"No, no, no, no, but listen," Malcolm buts in sounding somewhat horrified, "I set the scanner to register what it can't detect and inverted the image."

The Doctor's eyes widen hearing this, "You did what?"

"Is that wrong?"

"No. Malcolm, that's brilliant!" Ariana cuts in, seeing her boyfriend was still in a stunned state, "Which means you can actually measure the wormhole!

"Ok," the Doctor agreed with a laugh, "I admit that is genius."

"The Doctor called me a genius," Malcolm breathed in excitement, "And Ariana called me brilliant!"

"I know. I heard," they heard Erisa remark.

"Now Malcolm, can you run a capacity scan for us?" Ariana asked of the man, "We'll need full report."

"Call us back when you've done it," the Doctor added, "And Malcolm? You're my new best friend."

"And you're mine too, sir!"

Soon as he ended the call the Doctor looked to see Ariana raising an eyebrow at him, "What?"

"If Malcolm is your new best buddy," the Time Lady began, "What dose that make me?"

He gave his mate a soft smile, stroking her cheek, "You're extra special."

Smiling back at him, she takes his hand and pulled her back outside the bus, Christina not far behind.

 **-Doctor Who-**

The trio headed back over towards the dunes, to where they had been many moments ago, eyeing the storm that was getting much closer. The Doctor held up Ari's makeshift phone and took some photos for Malcolm, "Send this back to Earth. See if Malcolm can analyse the storm..."

"There's something in those clouds," Christina remarked with a nod, "Something shining. Look."

"Like metal," the Time Lady agreed.

"Why would there be metal in a storm?" the young woman trailed off, just as she heard a chirping noise reach her ears, "Did you hear something?"

"Hold on," the Doctor hushed her as he squinted at the storm, "Busy."

"There was a noise, like a sort of..."

Ariana looked back over her shoulder to see Lady Christiana staring at something that was to the side of them, following the young woman's gaze a figure that was humnoid in shape but had a massive fly's head.

"Sweetie..." she breathed, laying a hand on his arm and squeezing it.

He turned seeing the figure, a Trito, standing there before them aiming a gun, it was making various clicking and squeaking noises. He makes similar noises in response.

"That's wait," the Doctor informed Christina, "I shout 'wait,' people usually wait."

"You speak the language?" the young woman looked at him in surprise.

"Every language," Ariana now replied before making clicking and squeaking sounds, "Begging for mercy," she continued as Christina looked on rather lost.

The Tritovore waved his gun, "I think that means move," the young woman hazarded with a guess.

"Oh, you're learning!" the Time Lord grinned at her.

They walk unsteadily ahead of the Trito, the Doctor insisting he hold Ariana's tightly in his grasp, not entirely comfortable with the thought of having a gun pointed at his Bonded as they walked.

"These fly things..." Christina started to suggest, "They must be responsible. They brought us here."

"No, I don't think it's their fault," Ariana said just as they reached the vessel, "Look at their ship."

"It's a wreck," the Time Lord whistled, looking at the ship torn in two lying in the sand before them, "They crashed, just like us."

The Tritovore clicked and gestured for them to go inside.

"Oh!" Christina complained rubbing her arms, "But this place is freezing!"

Ariana's skimmed her hand over the wall the temperature not bothering her, "It must be the hull it's made of photafine steel. Goes cold when it's hot. With a boiling desert outside it creates a freezing ship inside."

The Doctor briefly glanced at the young woman who wasn't shivering much as a normal human being should be, "Since we met you, Christina, we've been through all the extremes."

"That's how I like things," she smirked, eyeing the Doctor more than necessary for Ari's liking, "Extreme."

 _'Ok,'_ his mates voice filtered through into his mind, _'Now I take it back...I actually hate her.'_


	4. Planet of the Dead Part 2

**Text Key**

 _'Telepathic communication'_

 _"Gallifreyian"_

 **-Doctor Who-** chapter break

The Time Lord chuckled quietly at Ariana's words and at the small amount of jealously he felt through their Bond just as they entered the chamber of the damaged ship, "Oh, this is beautiful. Intact, it must have been magnificent. A proper streamlined deep spacer."

"I'll remember that as I'm being slowly tortured," Christina offered with a grimace, "At least I'm bleeding on the floor of a really well designed spaceship."

Another Tritovore has joined the one that lead them here, both holding guns aimed at the trio. One of them pushed a button on it's suit, turning a purple light on. Both the Time Lords relaxed at this.

"Oh, right, good. Yes," the Doctor nodded, "Hello."

"Nothing to worry about it's just their telepathic translators," Ariana reassured Christina, "It will allow them to understand us."

"Still sounds like gibberish to me," the young woman remarked as the aliens clicked away.

"That's what Ari said. He can understand us. It doesn't work the other way round!"

The Tritovores began to click, leaving the Time Lords having to translate.

"'You will suffer for your crimes,'" Ari started, "'You have committed an act of violence against the Tritovore race. Tritovores. They're called Tritovores. You came here in the 200 to destroy us...'"

"Sorry, what's the 200?" the Doctor frowned.

"It's the bus," Christina reminded him, "Number 200. They mean the bus."

"Oh!" he turned to the Tritovores, "No, look, I think you're making the same mistake Christina did. I'm the Doctor, by the way, this is Ariana and this is Christina. The Honourable Lady Christina. At least I hope she's honourable."

"We got pulled through that wormhole," Ariana said, trying to get back on topic, "The 200 doesn't look like that normally. It's broken, just the same as you are."

"It was just a little accident," the Doctor added, "Promise!" he quickly crossed both of his hearts.

The Tritovores discussed this for a couple of minutes before lowering their guns down.

"What are they doing?"

"They believe us," Ariana replied calmly to her.

"What, as simple as that?"

"What can I say I've got a very honest face," he smiled with a shrug.

"And the translator said we're telling the truth," Ari rolled her eyes at him.

"Plus the face!" he argues his point, "Right. So, first things first..." he jogged over to the ship controls, "There's a very strange storm heading our way. Can you send out a probe?" he looked to the Tritovore who said something in return, "Oh, they've lost power."

"Looks like the crash knocked the mainline crystal out of sync," Ari tells him as she took a closer look at the readings, "But..." she reaches her hand over and worked the knob, "Maybe if we can jiggle it back it might..."

The Doctor then gives the machine a kick with his foot booting the systems back online. Much like he did with the TARDIS.

The Tritovores spoke quickly, happy about what has just happened, "Why thank you!" the Time Lord grinned with pride, "Yes, I am! Frequently!"

"Ok enough gibber, jabber," Ari shook her head at her mate, smiling but not enough to boost his ego any bigger than necessary, "We've gotta probe to launch!" she flicked a switch and something shot out of the ship and flies away. She punches in a few instructions and a holographic screen appears displaying a cloud in an colour of sorts and a light for them to see more clearly, "The Scorpion Nebula. Looks like we're on the other side of the Universe."

"Just what you wanted," the Time Lord remarked, "So far away," it zoomed in to the planet.

Ariana typed more commands into the system, opening up the ships log and came to sit down beside her mate.

"The planet of San Helios," the Doctor's eyes widened, seeing a beautiful, high-spec planet come up on screen.

"And that's us?" Christina gaped at the screen pointing at it, "We're on another world."

"We have been for quite a while now..." the Time Lady replied.

"I know, but seeing it like that..." the young woman shook her head.

"I know," he grinned at Christina, "It's good, isn't it?"

"Wonderful!"

The Tritovores began talking again, catching both the Time Lords attention away from the screen.

"The Tritovores were going to trade with San Helios," Ariana translates, "With a population of 100 billion."

"Plenty of waste matter for them to absorb," the Doctor added.

"By waste matter, you mean..." Christina began a little disgusted.

"They feed off what others leave behind...from their behind, if you see what I mean. It's perfectly natural. They are flies!"

"Charming. Just remind me never to kiss them."

"San Helios City," Ari stated slowly.

"That's amazing..."Christina breathed with a smile, amazed, "But...you've both seen this sort of thing before, haven't you?"

"Thousands of times," the Doctor responded with a nod.

"That nobility of yours... Lord and Lady of where, exactly?"

"Of Time," Ariana explained to the young woman, "We come from a race of people called Time Lords."

"You're an aliens?"

"Yeah. But you don't have to kiss me either."

"Me either," the Time Lady added, knowing the only person she ever wants to kiss is the Doctor.

 _'I feel exactly the same,'_ he spoke inside her head. Making her cheeks heat up.

"You look human," Christina gave them a suspicious look.

"You look Time Lord," Ariana countered with a smile, clearing her throat, "Besides we came first anyway," she turned herself back to the screen.

"So if that's San Helios, all we need to do is find that city. They can help us!"

The Time Lady looked over her shoulder just as the Tritovore quickly spoke, "I don't think it's going that straightforward."

They watch the screen changing before them into the sand dunes, "We're in the city right now," the Doctor broke to Christina.

"But it's sand!" the young woman exclaimed, "That first image, the temples and things, what's that then, ancient history?"

"That's because the image was taken last year," the Doctor sighed translating for the Tritovore as it clicked.

"It became a desert...in one year?"

The Doctor leaned downwards and scooped up a handful of sand from the floor, "Ariana said there was something in the sand," he watched as the sand tricked through his fingers like water, "The city, the oceans, the mountains, the wildlife, and a hundred billion people turned to sand."

"Poor Carmen," Ariana slowly shakes her head, "She's been hearing them die inside her head."

"But I've got sand in my hair," Christina complained in disbelief, "That's dead people. Ugh, that's disgusting. Ugh!"

That's when the Doctor turned to his girlfriend, concerned, that she hadn't been paying the slightest attention to Christina shaking sand from her hair, "Something destroyed the whole of San Helois."

"Yes, but in my hair!"

The makeshift mobile rang and the Doctor hurriedly answered as he put it on loudspeaker, "Malcolm, tell us the bad news."

"Oh, you are clever," Malcolm responded, "It is bad news. It's the wormhole, Doctor. It's getting bigger. We've gone way past 100 Bernards. I haven't invented a name for that."

"How can it get bigger by itself?"

"Well, that's why I'm phoning. You'll work it out, if I know you, sir. And...if not...I'm sure Ariana will be just as good."

"Well thank you Malcolm, it's Ari by the way," the Time Lady cut in, before bursting out laughing for the man's judgment on the Doctor's intelligence. As he didn't look best pleased about it.

"We estimate the circumference of your invisible wormhole is now four miles heading upwards. I've grounded all flights above London. We can't risk anyone else falling through."

"Good work, both of you," the Doctor agreed with a nod, trying to get over his shock.

"But I have to know. Does that wormhole constitute a danger to this planet?"

"Oh, sorry. Call waiting. Got to go..." he cuts them off as the makeshift phone beeped, "Hello?" he asked after pushing another button, curious as to who was on the other end and had this number.

"Doctor?" the voice of Nathan replied.

"Hold on," the Time Lord shook his head, "How did you get this number? How are you even calling us?"

"Managed to find a cigarette lighter. Barclay found a car charger, we got enough power from the battery to call you both."

"But...the number how did..."

"Oh, that'd be me," Ari said gesturing to herself, "I kinda programmed the phone to pick up your sonics frequencies...when you soniced the phone it registered on here and sent a message back to put the number in the other phones memory," the Doctor just stared at her, shocked, but amazed at her genius! Ari takes the phone from him, "What's happening Nathan?"

"We got those duckboard things down, but..." the young man trailed off.

"It's my fault," they heard Angela say as she cried.

"No, it's not. Don't say that."

"Why," the Doctor takes the phone back from Ari, "What's happened?"

"We kept on turning the engine, but...we're out of petrol. Used it all up. Even if we can get those wheels out, this bus is never going to move," the Doctor lets the phone come away from his ear, stunned. Ariana never had seen him so stuck before until now but had once a long time ago...a time she knew he would rather forget, "You and Ariana promised you'd get us home...Doctor? Are you still there?"

Ariana gently pried the phone out of his hand and took it from him, "Hang in there Nathan, we'll figure something out," she ends the call and turned to her mate, "Sweetie...I have an idea to make the bus move."

"How?" Christina questioned, looking up at the Time Lady.

"Well Carmen isn't the only one here with special gifts," she replied back to the young woman cryptically.

"What will..." Christina began to ask, but the Doctor stood to his feet and grasped his girlfriend by the shoulders.

"No," he voiced firmly, as he stared straight into her eyes, "I can't let you it's too soon and too risky."

"But..." Ariana starts.

"Like you said two heads are better," he reminded her with a tiny smile, feeling slightly tense of the thought of her trying to make a nine ton bus levitate with her mind, "So let's find another way. Both of us and these..." he lightly tapped his head, bringing a smile to her face.

Suddenly an alarm goes off and they see the Tritovores leap into action going to their controls.

"It's the probe," the Time Lady looked up at the screen, "It's reached the storm."

"And what's he saying?" Christina asked with a frown.

A Tritovore clicked nearby.

"It's not a storm," the Doctor replied seriously, as they see an image appear of the storm, an uncountable amount of flying stingrays with shiny metal skin in the air.

"It's a swarm. Millions of them."

"Make that billions," Ari corrected Christina, as one of the creatures flew at the probe and the image vanish, "And we've just lost the probe."

"I think it got eaten," the Doctor added torn between laughing and sighing, "Everything on this planet gets eaten."

"How far away is that swarm?" Christina asked, pointing to the screen.

"Well...if they're travelling at about hundred miles or so," Ariana responded, But, with travelling at that speed, I would say we've got less than 20 minutes left before it reaches us."

The Doctor turned to the Tritovores who were madly clicking away, "No, no, no, they're not just coming for us. They want the wormhole."

"They're heading for Earth?"

"Can you show us the analysis," the Time Lady turned to the Tritovores standing by the controls who pulled up a 3D image of the stingray.

"Incredible," the Time Lord breathed, as both he and his mate stepped up to examine it, "They swarm out of a wormhole, strip the planet bare, then move on to the next world. Start the life cycle all over again."

"So, they make the wormholes?" Christina asked with a frown, sounding uneasy.

"What else is left here of this planet that could?" Ari shook her head.

"But how? They don't exactly look like technicians. And if the wormhole belongs to them, why are they 100 miles away?"

"Because they need to be?" the Time Lord asked rather uncertain, "No, that's bonkers. Hang on. Yes! Oh!" he spun around to look at his girlfriend, knowing well she could keep up and understand him, "Do you see? Billions of them, flying in formation, all around the planet. Round and round and round, faster and faster and faster, till they generate a rupture in space!"

"So their speed and their numbers and size," her eyes widened as she started to follow along with him, "All coming together to rip the wormhole into existence!"

"And the wormhole's getting bigger..." Christina trailed off.

"Because they're getting closer!"

"But how do they get through? Because that wormhole's a killer. We've seen it."

"No, no, no, look," the Doctor pointed at the stingray on screen, "See the exoskeleton."

"Metal?"

"They've got bones of metal."

"They eat metal and it absorbs into the exoskeleton," Ariana added in explanation, "So it keeps their bodies safe when entering a wormhole once their velocity has created it," she gave out a small whistle, "Wow talk about being perfect in natural selection."

"Those things are going to turn the entire Earth into a desert?" the young woman cried now looking to the Doctor, "So why exactly are you smiling?"

She was right as Ariana turned to see for herself that he was indeed grinning, only for her to shake her head at him, "The more worse things get, the more he'll love it."

"Oh, come on Ari you know you love it just as much," he held out his hand to her, with a grin still on his face.

Ariana gave a laugh as she took his hand and headed back towards the main body of the ship as Christina followed behind them while they tried to find something to help stop the swarm.

"The thing is, you're missing the obvious," she called after the Time Lords, "We came here through the wormhole, yes? But our Tritovore friends didn't. They came here to trade with San Helios. Therefore, the question is, why did they crash?"

The Doctor paused, "Ah, good question!" he turned to the Tritovores, "Like she said, why did you crash?" they gave a few clicks and led them out of one room and into another which had a large hole in the floor. Christina and the Doctor leaned over to peer over while Ariana kneeled by the edge to have a closer look.

"Oh, yes," he nodded, "Gravity well. Look, goes all the way down to the engine. So what happened?"

The Tritovore clicked away in explination.

"He says their drive system stalled," Ariana translates, "About ten miles up, they crashed from out of the sky."

"But what caused that?" the Doctor asked.

The alien just shrugged.

"Which means 'no idea,'" Christina ventured a guess.

"That's a crystal nucleus down there, right?" Ariana cut in, noticing something before glancing up at her boyfriend, "It looks like it survived the crash. If the crystal's intact?"

"Oh, yes!" the Doctor's eyes widen with excitement, "That's so much better than diesel!"

"What, you can use the crystal to move the bus?"

"I think so," he takes a look around, "The spaceship's a write-off, but the 200's small enough."

"How does a crystal drive a bus?"

"In a super clever outer-spacey way. Just trust me."

"When he says that it mean he'll figure it out when we have the crystal," the Time Lady sighed, as she pointed over the holes edge, "There's the crystal! It's at the bottom of the well."

"Have you got access shafts?" the Doctor turned to ask the Tritovore, carefully listening as it clicked, "All frozen..."

"We could hack into the system."

The Doctor nodded in agreement, helping his mate up before picking up the small earpiece, "Internal comms," he throws one to Christina and placed the other in his ear, "Put that on. You stay here. Keep an eye on the shaft. Tell me if anything happens!"

Both Time Lords followed the Tritovores out of the other and back into the control room again. Ariana dashed over to the controls quickly getting to work, "I can probably get the automatic maintenance to start using the sunlight..." she began.

"Christina? If you see a panel opening in that shaft, let me know," the Doctor instructed into the comm, as Ariana worked.

"Nothing yet," Christina called back in response.

Ariana plugs in a wire, looking up to her mate.

"Anything now?" he asked.

"Afraid not."

Ariana grabbed a few wires, biting her lip in concentration as she crossed them over. Something the Doctor couldn't help but find distracting, shaking his head he gets back to the matter at hand.

"Any sign of movement?"

"Nope."

Ariana held her hand out for the sonic screwdriver and the Doctor automatically handed it over without her asking, she flashed it across a random plug.

"How's that?"

"Nothing."

Just as Ariana tweaked another wire the panel sparked. There were many combinations she could try giving a go so it would be slow going.

"Any result?" the Doctor asked Christina again.

"Not a dickie bird," she replied, "So let me get this right. You need that crystal? Then consider it done."

The Doctor watched his girlfriend blowing into a box to make the connection more clear, "Why, what do you mean?" she didn't respond, "Christina?" Ari looked over to him as realisation filled his eyes, "Christina!" he shouts, taking Ariana's hand and pulling her up and out of the control room with him, running back towards the engine room.

"The aristocracy survives for a reason," Christina smirked over her shoulder at the Time Lords just as they entered, "We're ready for anything."

Turning back she let herself fall forward arms outstretched as they run to edge, missing her.

"No!" the Doctor shouted, as Ariana tossed his sonic back to him and flashed it over at the winch Christina had set up, halting her abruptly during her fall, "That's better!"

"I decide when I stop, thank you!" Christina called back with a smirk.

"So if you have decided, then you should've know all the facts first," Ariana called back, peering over the edge, "Like the security grid that's just below you."

"Excellent," the young woman muttered to herself, taken aback for having been so careless, the grid just inches from her face, "So what do I do?"

"Try the big red button," the Doctor suggested.

She pushes the button in front of her and the grid disappeared, "Well done!"

"Now come back up," the Time Lady insisted, "I'll do the rest."

"Ariana..." the Doctor began to warn his mate.

"Come on sweetie you're just too tall."

"Oh, don't you wish!" Christina shouted back up to them as she laughed.

Both the Time Lords exchanged looks, now realising the young woman wasn't going to come back up so willingly but also it seemed she actually knew what she was doing, "Slowly!" the Doctor relented back down with a shout.

"Yes, sir!" she called back mockingly.

They both watched as she continued her decent.

"Quite the mystery, aren't you?" the Doctor told her through the comm, "Lady Christina de Souza, carrying a winch in her bag."

"No stranger than you, spaceman."

"We had this friend, once," he spoke sadly, swallowing harshly, "She called me spaceman."

Ariana reaches over and takes his hand giving it a squeeze, _'I miss her too.'_

"And was she right?" Christina asked, not really noticing his tone, "Do you zoom about the place in a rocket?"

"Well, actually it's a little blue box," Ariana responded with a smile, "Which travels in more than just space."

"It can journey through time, Christina," he gave his mates hand a squeeze, "Oh, the places we've been."

"World War One, creation of the Universe, end of the Universe..." she took a quick glance down at Christina's bag laying open, "The war between China and Japan," kneeling down to take a closer look, "And the Court of King Athelstan in 924 AD."

 _'You weren't there for that,'_ the Doctor looked to see her staring at a the golden chalice.

 _'I know that I wasn't but it doesn't explain how she got this,'_ she nodded at the chalice.

"But I don't remember you being there," the Doctor now spoke up, now picking up the chalice from Christina's bag, "So what are you doing with this?"

"Excuse me. A gentleman never goes through a lady's possessions."

"Since when have you been called a gentleman?" Ariana joked to her boyfriend.

The Tritovore that had followed after them chirped in question, "It's the Cup of Athelstan," the Doctor answered, "Given to the first King of Britain as a coronation gift from Hywel, King of the Welsh."

"And has been kept inside the International Gallery for almost 200 hundred years."

"Which makes you, Lady Christina," the Doctor states, as he leaned over the edge slightly to look down at the young woman, "A thief!"

"I like to think I liberated it," she replied airily.

"Don't tell me you need the money."

"Daddy lost everything. Invested his fortune in the Icelandic banks."

"No, no, no, no, no," the Doctor shook his head disbelievingly looking at the he cup again, "If you're short of cash, you rob a bank. Stealing this...that's a lifestyle."

"I take it you disapprove?"

"Absolutely!" he began to complain, "Except...that little blue box...I stole it from my own people."

Ari gave his hand another squeeze.

"Good boy!" Christina applauded him when a metallic roar echoed nearby, "What the blazes was that?"

"We never did find out why the ship crashed," Ariana remarked as she leaned over the holes edge, "Christina, you really need to get back up here!"

"Too late. I can see it."

"Careful, slowly," the Doctor called down to her, before turning to the Tritovore, "Have you got an open-vent system?" it clicked in response, "I thought so."

"What does that mean?" Christina asked, obviously having heard everything.

"It's just like when a bird flies into the engine of an airplane," the Time Lady explained.

"One of the creatures," the young woman gasped.

They both exchanged a look, realising she has probably seen one, "It must have gotten trapped in the vents," Ariana said, "Causing the ship to have crashed."

"Christina, get out!" the Time Lord shouted down to her.

"It's not moving, I think it's injured," she replied back.

"At the moment it's just dormant from the cold down but your body heat is raising the temperature," Ariana argued with Christina.

"I tend to have that effect. Almost there!"

"Not just the crystal, we need the whole bed, the plate thing," the Doctor urgently called.

"I've got it!"

Immediately jumping to his feet the Doctor, soniced the winch pulling Christina back up, "Come on, come on!" both of them watched on as Christina flew up the vent while something large crashed into the ships side, emitting sparks as came after her, "Come on, come on, come on, come on," he muttered through gritted teeth, trying his best to make it go faster, "It's going to eat its way up."

"Christina hit the button!" Ariana shouted, just as the young woman hits it and activates the shield frying the stingray with the lasers.

He looked over to his mate, "Clever thinking there Ari!"

The Time Lady dashed over helping Christina straighten when having reached the top while the Tritovore started to click excitedly at the young woman, "Oh, she certainly is," she replied with a laugh.

The Doctor took the crystal and the plates, pulling Ariana along with him back towards the entryway led by the Tritovore who took them back to the second waiting in the control room.

"Commander, we need to leave this place now," the Doctor told the Tritovores, "We've got to get back to the 200, all of us," they clicked in response, "Oh, don't be so daft! A captain can leave his ship...if there's a bus standing by!"

There was an enormous rumbling roar, making everyone jump.

"What the hell was that?" Christina demanded in a panic, "Is this place safe? It's the creature. It's not dead."

"Maybe you didn't hit just one of them. If you hit a swarm?"

"Do you mean if there's more on board?"

"This ship was built inside a metal sleeve," Ariana remarked, "They can move through the infrastructure, all around us," sand began falling around them, "And they wake up hungry. Let's go your coming with us!" she held out her hand to the Tritovores, ushering them to leave, "Are you coming with us right now?"

"Come back to Earth. We'll find you a home."

"Come on!" the Doctor added.

The Tritovores went towards, when the ship shook and one ran back towards the control panel. He started fiddling about with the controls when a stingray comes through the ceiling. Christina let out a scream as the stingray dragged the first Tritovore away. The second stepped forward, aimed its gun at the creature.

"No, don't!" the Time Lady shouted, realising the weapon would be useless against a creature that size.

"There's nothing we can do," her mate yelled as he took her hand and pulling her away,

"Run!"

 **-Doctor Who-**

The trio were racing across the desert sand just ahead of the swarm behind them. They ran down the dune when the handmade mobile phone rang. The Doctor passes the plates over to Ariana and quickly yanked out the phone, "Er, Doctor, I...?"

"Not now, Malcolm!" he screamed back into the phone, ending the call just as they reached the 200 bus.

Nathan and Barclay ran out of the bus to see the panicked looks on the other's faces as they approached.

"At last!" Nathan called to them, "Where've you been?"

"Get inside!" Ari ordered with a shout, "Get them sitting down."

"Now then, let's have a look," the Doctor carefully picked the crystal out of the plate in Ariana's arm.

"So what does that crystal do?" Christina asked them.

The Time Lord carelessly tossed it over his shoulder, "Oh, nothing. Don't need the crystal."

"Oh, I risked my life for that!"

"No, sweetie, you risked your life for the clamps," Ariana tells her before catching two clamps the Doctor had unhooked. They ran back outside the bus attaching the clamps to the front and back tires.

"But what are the clamps for?" Christina asked following after the pair, "Do they turn the wheels?"

"Yeah, something like that," he replied meeting Ariana back at the doors, ushering both women back inside before going in himself. Ari having difficulty setting up the last clamp, the plate, on the wheel, "Have you got a hammer in that bag?" he looked to the young woman.

"Funnily enough," she pulled said item out from her bag.

The Doctor gets out the phone from his pocket, handing it over to his girlfriend. Who pressed the redial button, "Malcolm, it's us."

"I'm ready!" Malcolm responded with a shout.

"Ready for what?"

"I don't know. You tell me."

The Doctor motioned for Ari to hold the phone up to his ear as he continued setting the plate, "We're going to try to get back, but listen, there might be something following us. You need to close the wormhole."

"Would that be a compressed burst of feedback on a counter-oscillation, perchance?" Malcolm smugly asked.

"Oh, Malcolm, you're brilliant!"

Malcolm gasped in surprise, "Coming from you, sir, that means the world," he almost sounded on the verge of tears.

"Doctor, what sort of something?" Captain Magambo asked warily, "That wormhole is now measuring ten miles and growing. I need to know the exact nature of the threat."

"Sorry, got to go," he eyed Ari and she ended the call.

He leaned forwards, trying to get the bus started only for it to hiss and spark.

"It's not compatible," his mate told him, resting her hand on his shoulder, seeing his frustration.

"Bus, spaceship, spaceship, bus," he mumbled to himself, "We need to weld the two systems together."

"And how do you do that?" Christina asked standing the other side of Ariana.

"We need something non-corrosive. Something malleable, ductile..." a thought comes to the Time Lady and she turned to Christina, "Something gold."

"Oh no you don't."

"Christina, what is it worth now?" the Doctor asked of her seriously.

"Hey, hey," Barclay comes forwards, holding a watch out to them, "Use this."

"It has to be pure gold," Ari repeated clearly.

"It is pure gold."

"Oh, they saw you coming," the Time Lord muttered to the young man, before turning to Christina, "Christina."

Barclay slumped off back to his seat as Christina looked at the other passengers with a pained expression. Sighing she turned to her bag, glanced at it, then back to the passengers sitting around the bus, now depending on her for their survival, goes back to her bag. With a sigh of defeat pulled out the gold chalice holding it out to the Doctor.

"It's over 1,000 years old, worth 18 million pounds," she said to him before handing it over, "Promise me you'll be careful."

"I promise," the Doctor told her.

'Well that was just a straight up lie,' his mate whispered in his head.

He turned the gold chalice upside down on the plate of the steering wheel and hit it hard with the mallet, beating it into shape as Christina watch on in horror.

"I hate you."

But only just ignored her as he looked over his shoulder to the other passengers, "This is your driver speaking. Hold on tight."

"But what for?" Barclay asked in confusion, "What's he doing?"

"Just do what he says!" Ariana turned to tell them all.

"What are you doing?" Christina asked the Doctor.

But he was just too focused on revving the engine, "Come on, that's it! You can do it, you beauty. One last trip!"

The bus started wobbling, smoke rising up from the wheels. Everyone cried out in fear, except for Christina and Ariana, who are grinning away as the bus rose up into the air.

"Oh, you are so kidding me!" Barclay cheered as everyone looked out.

"We're flying!" Nathan shouted, "It's flying!"

"He's flying the bus!" Lou exclaimed.

"It's a miracle!" Angela breathed with a gasp.

"Anti-gravity clamps, didn't I say?" the Time Lord grinned, "Round we go!" he spins the wheel making the bus turn to face the wormhole, everyone nearly coming out of their seats from the movement.

"Doctor, they're coming!" Carmen shouted in warning, as she looked out the window.

"Do you think this thing will survive the journey back?" Christina asked with desperation.

Ariana looked to her mate and smiled at at him, "Only one way to find out!" she cheered excitedly, "Next stop..."

"Planet Earth!"

 **-Doctor Who-**

All the passengers screamed as the bus passed through a portal, plunging them into darkness. The Doctor couldn't help but laugh, feeling ridiculously proud of himself, as the bus flew out of the portal right over London. Looking out Ariana saw UNIT soldiers gazing up as they continued to fly.

"It's London!" Barclay shouted.

"We're back home!" Angela cried.

"They did it!" Nathan cheered for them, "They did it!"

"Sweetie," Ariana warned, her eyes back on the portal where three stingrays now flew through.

Below UNIT soldiers began to fire at the alien creatures, the passengers ducking for cover as the bullets ricocheted off the vehicle.

The Doctor quickly gets out the phone, "Malcolm, close that wormhole!"

"Yes, sir!" Malcolm confirmed with a shout, "My pleasure, sir!" Then the man ended the call.

The Doctor looked at the phone in disbelief, "He's hung up on me!"

Ariana smirked, finding it rather amusing.

He redialled it again, "Malcolm!"

"Not now, I'm busy!" the man shouted back with irritation and hung up.

The Doctor stared at the phone, "He's hung up again!"

Ariana snatched the phone off him, "Malcolm sweetie, you need to listen..."

"It's not working," the poor man cried in distress.

"We need that signal," the Doctor shouted into the phone Ari was holding up, "We've got billions of those things about to fly through."

"Well, what do I do?"

"Malcolm, use the back feed integrator and keep the signal ramping up!" the Time Lady instructed pulling away the phone.

"But by how much?"

"500 Bernards!" the Doctor shouted in frustration, "Do it now!"

Just a moment later a relived sigh of relief comes from the phone, "Yes!"

Peering over they see the wormhole twitching and disappear into nothing, trapping the other stingrays on San Helios, while the three that escaped remained getting shot by UNIT.

Nathan looked out the window in concern, seeing the last stingray heading straight for them, "Doctor, it's coming for us!"

The Doctor looked over, seeing it approach, "Oh no, you don't!"

"Everybody hang on!" the Time Lady shouted over her shoulder before her boyfriend sharply turned the bus to its side, whacking the stingray with backend of the bus, sending it flying back in UNIT's direction with their cannons finishing it off.

Only moments later it stopped.

"Did I say I hated you?" Christina gasped as she turned to the Doctor as he turned his head to look at her, "I was lying..." she breathed, about to reach forward, only for Ariana to put a hand on her shoulder, lightly pushing her back a little.

"Sorry but that job is taken," she informed the young woman, with a sly grin, before turning to the Doctor, who was rather confused, grabbed him by the lapels of his suit and kissed him deeply while the other passengers laughed, cheered and applauded behind them, Christina now looking put off.

Now pulling back she couldn't help but smirk from the dazed look in the Doctor's eyes as he stared back at her, breathing heavily. He was still stunned many moments later when she reached over and gently guides the bus down onto the streets.

The Doctor soon snapped out of it when the bus jolted after touching the ground. Shaking his head vigorously before he turned to grin at all the passengers, "Ladies and gentlemen, you have reached your final destination. Welcome home, the mighty 200!"

He opened the doors with his sonic met with the applause of UNIT and policemen that had been standing around watching. The passengers dashed off the bus as a UNIT soldier approached.

"Welcome back," the soldier greeted, "If you could step away from the bus, just to be safe. As fast as you can, thank you. It's standard procedure. We need to screen you and then you'll all be taken to debriefing."

The Doctor got out the psychic paper as holding it up to the solider as he and Ariana stepped out with linked arms, "We don't count."

"No, but Doctor..." Christina tried to go after them but was taken away by a soldier.

"With me, ma'am," he tells her continuing to lead her away.

Ariana nodded in towards an official looking woman dressed in UNIT uniform and they headed over to her only for short man wearing a lab coat and glasses to runs up to them.

"Doctor!" he shouted, "Ariana!"

"You must be Malcolm," the Time Lord grinned, only without warning is suddenly pulled into hug by Malcolm.

"Oh!" he cried with joy, "Oh! I love you!" Ari snorted at the interaction, hiding her laugh behind her hand, only for it to be cut short by the man pulling away from the Doctor and hugging her just as tightly, "I love you. I love you!"

"I think he loves us both," the Doctor remarked to his girlfriend.

"To your station, Doctor Taylor," Erisa ordered as she rolled her eyes at him.

"Yes, ma'am," Malcolm turned, and went back before he stopped to point at them, "I love you!"

The Doctor pointed back with a smile and Malcolm turned to walk away.

"Ariana, Doctor," Captain Magambo, now straightened up an saluted, "I salute you whether you like it or not," the Doctor winced as if he had just been slapped making Ariana laugh as she linked arms with him once again, "Now, I take it we're safe from those things?"

"They'll start again, generate a new doorway," the Doctor started explaining, "It's not their fault, it's their natural life cycle."

"But if we'll launch the wormholes on to uninhabited planets, Ariana added, "Closer to home."

Both the Time Lords glanced at the passengers who are currently being checked by other soldiers, "Those two lads," the Doctor nodded at Nathan and Barclay, "Very good in a crisis."

"Nathan needs a job," Ariana agreed with a nod, "Barclay's excellent with an engine."

"You could do a lot worse. Privates Nathan and Barclay, UNIT's finest."

Erisa seemed to consider this, "I'll see what I can do..."she gave a nod before turning back to them, "And I've got something for you."

She turned and motioned for the soldiers to move away, pulling tarp off something sitting on the bed of a lorry, the TARDIS!

The Time Lord laughed as he walked over with Ariana, "Better than a bus, any day! Hello!"

"Found in the gardens of Buckingham Palace."

"Oh, I'm sure her majesty doesn't mind."

"Now, I've got three dead alien stingrays to clear up," Erisa now went on, "I don't suppose you fancy helping with the paperwork?"

"Not a chance," he grinned back.

"Until we meet again, Doctor, Ariana," she offered her hand which they both shook.

"I hope so," Ariana smiled and gave nod before letting go of the woman's hand.

They turned around just about to reaching the TARDIS doors when Christina ran over to them, "Little blue box, just like you said," the young woman grinned, "Right then, off we go!" smiling a little too flirtatiously for Ariana's liking, "Come on, Doctor, show me the stars."

The Time Lord felt his mate stiffen beside him and frowned, "No."

"What?" she demanded.

"I said no."

"But I saved your lives. And you saved mine."

"So?"

Christina looked around cautiously, "We're surrounded by police. I'll go to prison!"

"Yeah."

Ariana gave his arm a light squeeze, she sensed this was going to be hard for him. It would always be hard sometimes turning down somebody's chance of adventure and freedom even if neither of them was a fan of Christina's obvious flirting.

"But you were right. It's not about the money," she tried pleading with them, "I only steal things for the adventure, and today with you...with you both, I want more days like this! I want every day to be like this!" she looked up at the Doctor, only for her feelings of expectation and delight to fade as he just stared back at her, "Why not?"

"We...we recently lost some people who used to travel with us," Ariana offered quietly. It had still be hard on them both the Doctor more than her to say goodbye to the companions left behind and lost. It was... just too soon to take on another, they just weren't ready. She knew that it was too soon for him.

With losing Alice a couple of months ago, it had been hard for both of them, all that mattered...was the time they needed it just to be them for now. Just the two of them.

"Lost them all," the Doctor added, with a shake of his head, "Never again," he and Ariana still feel guilty for leaving her.

"Lady Christina de Souza," a detective now walked up to them, "Oh, I have waited a long time to say this. I am arresting you on suspicion of theft," they looked to the ground as she got arrested, "You do not have to say anything, etcetera, etcetera. Dennison, take her away!"

They tugged her away as Carmen and Lou walked past the pair, escorted by UNIT officers. Carmen suddenly stopped and looked over at them, "Doctor?" she said cautiously as they looked up, "You take care now."

The Doctor returned with a smile, "You too. Chops and gravy, lovely!"

"No, but you be careful," she repeated her tone now more serious, "Because your song is ending, sir. As hers has now just begun," she nodded to Ariana.

His smile faded, recalling the Ood's words spoken to him. Ariana squeezed his hand, "What do you mean?"

"It is returning. It is returning through the dark. And then, Doctor...oh, but then... he will knock four times."

The Doctor stared back in confusion at the woman and fear while Ari watched on anxious and concerned. Carmen watched them a moment longer, before walking away, leaving him to stare after her.

Ari tugged her boyfriend by his arm until he was looking down at her. She stood up and gave him a soft reassuring kiss. He pulled away smiling, tucking a stray hair behind her ear, stroking her cheek a moment before he turned to unlock the TARDIS. Not noticing she had sneaked his sonic out of his pocket when they had kissed.

"Hang on," the Time Lady murmured, looking around for Christina who was still being led to a police car nearby. Using the Doctor's sonic she flashed the handcuffs unlocking them. The young woman knowingly smirked as she is forced inside the car, shuffling over to the other side, running out and towards the bus.

Ariana about to sneak the sonic in to her jacket only for the Doctor to snatch it off her, "You have got to stop stealing my sonic I'll get the TARDIS to make you one," they watch Christina run past them, "Besides why are you helping her I thought you didn't like her?"

She shrugged, "I dunno, she did kind of help us save those people, save us..."

"No!" the detective yelled chasing after her, "Stop that woman! Stop that woman! Stop her!" Christina hopped inside the bus as they casually strolled over, UNIT soldiers currently blocking up the road, "Don't just stand there, stop her!" she shuts the bus doors just before the detective could get onboard and he started pounding on the door, "Open the door. I'll add resisting arrest!"

"I'd step back, if I were you," the Doctor warned as they stop a few feet away.

"I'm charging you two, too," the detective turned to point at them, "Aiding and abetting."

"Yes," the Doctor nodded, gesturing towards the TARDIS, "We'll just step inside this police box and arrest ourselves."

"I arrest you," Ari tells him, "You can arrest me."

"I'd love that," he laughed both stepping back, walking back towards the TARDIS, but watched the commotion as they went.

"Out, now!" the detective continued shouting. Christina waved to him and started up the bus, lifting it in the air, "No! Come back!"

The other passengers whooped and cheered as she made her escape, waving as she floated above.

Both the Time Lords paused at the TARDIS door, turning to give Christina a mock salute as she flew away.


	5. The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith

The TARDIS violently shook as it tried to break through the barrier surrounding a small manor house where unbeknown to Sarah Jane Smith who was only a step away from getting married into a Trickster'strap. Many moments ago they had received a distress call from Sarah Jane's computer Mr. Smith, only moments before it was shut down. The Time Lords knew there had to be something very wrong if _Sarah Jane_ had shut it down and with such happiness. They both ran madly around the console, trying to understand what has happened to make Sarah Jane do something like this, clearly something must of happened to her, Ariana brought up the monitor now just seeing a wedding announcement.

Of course the Doctor had been ecstatic to see his former companion was getting married, although at the same time rather concerned as to why she had shut down her computer Mr. Smith. So they'd gone to, crash the wedding when running into an energy field that the TARDIS identified as the Trickster's handy work. And when it realised that whatever was going on, the Trickster was involved, and by no means that wasn't a good thing.

Ariana went to the other side of the console, crouched down and opened a panel, reaching inside she taking out a tiny wire. She hesitated, resting her head on the console, "I'm really sorry..." she whispered to the old girl, before pulling the wire free and joining it to another.

Which made the TARDIS violently jolt.

"What you done?" the Doctor called to her.

"I released some Artron Energy!" she responded, just as the TARDIS gave another shake, the console now sparking with the energy, "It might be enough to surround it, for it to break through the barrier!"

It just did but barely.

The Doctor pulled his girlfriend to her feet, "You are brilliant!" he gave her a kiss and tugged her over to the doors, threw them open to see they were in a small reception area of the manor. They looked around, vaguely hearing voices from another room.

Running around the corner, approaching two massive doors as a woman's voice reached their ears, the words distinct and clear, "...why they may not be joined together, let them speak now or forever hold their peace..."

"That would be your cue!" Ari informed the Doctor burst through the doors, into the chapel room.

"Stop this wedding now!" the Time Lord shouted.

Everyone turned in their seats to face the intruder only to be greeted with a skinny man, heavily breathing, wearing a blue pinstriped suit and long brown trench coat with a russet skinned woman with black hair in a messy bun standing just a few feet away in dark denim ripped jeans, blue top, black ankle boots and black leather jacket on.

"What?" Sarah Jane exclaimed, staring at the couple with wide eyes.

"What's going on?" a young girl beside a boy they both recognised as Sarah Jane's son Luke asked.

"Who the hell is that?" the man stood beside Sarah Jane asked, Peter he was called according to wedding announcement.

"I don't believe it," Luke gasped as the girl next to him turned in his direction.

"Who's he?" she asked.

"Master!" K9 exclaimed rolling out from underneath the table where he had been hiding.

"I said, stop this wedding!" the Doctor repeated.

"Doc!" Ariana shouted in warning just as a strong wind began blowing through the room, forcing him to stumble backwards. Ariana comes running to his side as the lights began flickering.

"Alert!"K9 warned, rolling in around in a circle, "Alert! Danger,Mistress!"

"Sarah!" the Time Lady shouted, waving her arm at the woman, seeing Peter grabbing hold of her arm, "Get away from him!"

Sarah tried to pulling herself free, but Peter had a firm hold on her.

"No!" she looked up at him pleadingly, "Peter, no!"

"Don't be afraid, Sarah Jane," he smiled at her, "It's the Angel."

A small electrical storm of bright light comes from the corner of the room as a creature appeared, humanoid, faceless with sharp teeth, dressed in a large, billowing white robe with a hood.

"It's the Trickster!" the young girl shouted, staring at the creature in horror.

"Mum!" Luke turned to his mother, trying to get to get to her but the windwas too strong, "Mum!"

Sarah looked over at her son in desperation when the Doctor called, "Sarah!" he turned to the Trickster, leaning on his mate who was helping him keep steady in the wind, "Trickster, let her go!"

"Too late, Time Lord!" the Trickster returned with a sneer, "You're mine, Sarah Jane Smith, mine forever."

"Sarah!" both the Time Lords shouted, both reaching out for her but held back from the wind.

"Doctor!"Sarah Jane called, reaching back to them as well, only for her to disappear along with the Trickster and Peter.

"Dad!" the girl shouted, "Mum!"

The Doctor looked around frantically as though he could still find Sarah Jane when Ariana took his arm and pulled him towards the altar, pulling him down to grab one of its legs, "Hold on!" she shouted to Luke and his two friends who had stayed behind, the only ones still here, "Everybody, hold on tight!"

The room shakes madly as a blinding white light filled the room, forcing everybody to look away from it's glare.

 **-DoctorWho-**

"Luke?" the Time Lord called gently as he knelt over Luke's unconscious from that laid on the floor. Whatever that bright light had been, it had knocked Luke and both his friends unconscious, "Luke Smith."

Ariana looked over from checking Rani and Clyde with her new sonic the TARDIS helped her make. She had gotten rather concerned after the light had faded to see them lying on the floor, unmoving. She wouldn't have put it past the Trickster to hurt them in any way and had instantly went to check them over, wanting to give herself some reassurance they were fine. She will always have a soft spot for children...especially since Bonding with the Doctor, the loss of their children, sharing equal pain. Children would always be aweakness for them both, she couldn't bear to see them harmed.

She sighed with relief just as Luke slowly came around, "Doctor?" he asked.

"That's me," the Doctor grinned at him, "Good to meet you in the flesh."

"What...what happened?" the boy frowned as he quickly sat up, "Mum and the Trickster!"

"Luke, Luke, Luke, Luke, listen to me," the Doctor tries to calm him down,"Everything's going to be all right, we can find Sarah, we can bring her back, we promise."

"We?"

"We meaning me and him," Ariana replied, gesturing between herself and the Doctor now drawing Luke's attention and giving him a smallwave, "Hey."

"But we need you to be strong for us," the Doctor went on as Rani and Clyde started to wake up, "Just like you were before. We know you can do it," he gave a wink and Luke nodded slowly.

"Who are you?" Clyde asked, stepping away from Ariana.

"Hello!" the Time Lord dashed over to him, holding out his hand in greeting, "Clyde!" he pulled the boy to his feet as Ariana helped up Rani.

"So that would make you Rani," the woman grinned at her, Rani moving away also.

"What?" Clyde shook his head as the Doctor went over to the alter and kneeled down searching the area, "How'd you know my name?"

"Wait a moment you both must be..." Rani began, before she pointed at theDoctor, "It's you, isn't it?"

The Time Lord confirmed as he stood and ran down the aisle, "It's me."

"The Doctor!" the girls mouth dropped open.

"That's him," Luke gave a responding nod.

"The who is she?" Rani asked as the Time Lady walked past them and over to the Doctor, who had his ear pressed against the ground before the fireplace in the back.

"That's Ariana," Luke told them with a smile, "She's like the Doctor and is also his Bonded."

Rani gasped, her eyes widening, as she stared at the woman who was currently looking around the room also, "Wow is she really?"

Sarah Jane must of told them all about the Doctor and then, much later after the Earth had been moved about the woman who traveled with him, the last Time Lady, the Doctors Bonded, Ariana who used to embody Alice Noble the young woman who sacrificed herself to let her live. Sarah Jane had obviously told them what a Bond was.

"She's actually told you about me?" Ariana looked at the three rather surprised, but touched none the less.

"Of course she's told us all about you two," the young girl nodded.

"I hope you're as good as Sarah Jane says you are," Clyde added in remark.

"Well...you know journalists, always exaggerating," the Doctor muttered pushing himself back up and looking about again, "But yeah..." he turned to face them, "I'm pretty amazing on a good day..."and glanced at Ariana smiling at her as she rolled her eyes back at him, "Well Ari here...she's just as brilliant every single day."

Smiling she looked away as K9 rolled out from under a table where he'd been hiding, "Master, inquiry, who is Ariana?"

The Doctor was very happy to see his old robotic dog, "K9!" he exclaimed, coming to kneel before him and give him a fond pat, "Did you miss me? Did miss me?"

"I repeat. Who is Ariana? Scanners indicate she's non-human."

He motioned for Ariana to come over, pulling her down next to him beside the dog, "K9, let me introduce to you Ariana...she's a TimeLady...and my Bonded."

K9 stayed silent only for a moment, completely frozen. If he we're human, Ari would have thought he'd been stunned. But his tail began wagging excitedly and his ears spun, "Very honoured and best pleased to meet you Mistress Ariana!"

"Mistress Ariana why is he calling me that?" she turned to her boyfriend.

"Uh, it's in his original programming, he's meant to recognise my Bonded as his mistress," the Doctor turned back to K9, "K9, only call her mistress Ari okay?"

"Affirmative master," K9 confirmed with a reply, "Another inquiry...where is mistress Sarah Jane?"

"Where are we?" Clyde asked them.

The Time Lords looked up to see young russet skinned boy gazing out the windows, Rani and Luke coming over to join him. The Doctor stood up and helped Ariana up with him as they walked down the red carpeted aisle towards the children.

"There's been a inter-dimensional shift," the Doctor started to explain,"Time's moved on. But us, at least for the time being, we've been left behind."

"There's nothing out there!" Rani exclaimed with wide eyes as she looked out at the white space with clouds.

"I said all along, I knew there was something wrong about all of this," Clyde muttered before noticing both Time Lords weren't behind them any longer. Turning to see the pair standing at another window in the back of the room, examining it, "And what exactly is going on?"

"We'll explain later," the Doctor waved off in remark.

Only it didn't help their fears as all three of them stepped up and began bombarding them with questions and such. The Doctor and Ariana shared a look and then glanced at the children, hearing vague mentions of the Trickster, parents, being trapped and Sarah Jane.

With a sigh the Doctor pulled out a football rattle from his pocket, swinging it above him as it made a loud noise just as they approached.

"Shh!" he hushed them, "Here's the answer to all your questions. Yes, that was the Trickster. Yes, we're trapped. Yes, we're the only ones who can get us out of the trap. Yes, we're going to bring Sarah Jane, and your mum and dad, and all the others back safe."

"But we can't do any of this without your guys help," Ari added, pointing at them.

A rather smug smirk appeared on Clyde's face, as he crossed his arms," _You_ need us?"

"Just like Sarah Jane needs you," the Time Lady returned smiling back at them just as the Doctor used the football rattle once again and put it away. She normally didn't like the idea of exposing young children to the dangers that came with time travel, especially to something like the Trickster, but, Rani had exclaimed it's name earlier, meaning they had experience with this creature, dealt with its threats before. If there were any three children on Earth that could handle this, it was these three standing before her. Sarah Jane had picked her friends well.

"My mum and dad," Rani gave her head a shake, "Where are they?"

"Just go along with them, Rani," Luke leaned forward and quietly reassured her, "I saw them both save the world."

"You helped us save the world Lukey boy!" the Doctor gave the boys cheeks a slap just as Ariana shakes her head at him, "Right!" he takes Ari's hand in his and turned to leave, "Come on, we can use the TARDIS!" the young teens ran after them, when they suddenly stopped to face them, "I assume everybody knows what the TARDIS is?" they nodded, "Unless you've really not been paying attention...and..." they turned and ran off again, "Allons-y!"

They go through the back doors of the room, the very ones the Doctor and Ariana had burst through earlier, down the hall, back to the empty reception, seeing there was no TARDIS in sight, stopping the Time Lords in shock, "Oh, no, no, no, no, it was there!" the Doctor shouted with frustration, "It was right there!"

"Sweetie, just listen," Ariana said, hearing the TARDIS as it began to materialise. Stepping back, pulling everyone back with her as thenTARDIS outline vaguely appeared before the group, crackling with some Artron Energy.

"That noise!" Rani gasped in surprise, "I've heard it before."

"That was us we tried breaking for quite some time," the Time Lady nodded, "The Trickster's created some kind of energy barrier around the manor."

"Temporal schism is preventing TARDIS materialisation," K9 informed, rolling over to them.

"Wait a minute...that's the TARDIS?" Clyde asked disbelievingly, sounding rather let down by the sight of it, "It's just a wooden box!"

"Come on!" the Doctor ignored him, focusing his attention on the TARDIS that was having trouble landing, "You can do it, more power, come on!" but it only just faded away, "Okay, got no TARDIS," his hands now rested sullenly in his pockets, turning to face the children once again.

"It's not gonna be able to materialise until time begins to move again," Ariana explained to them, laying a comforting hand on her mates arm.

"What, so we're trapped here?" the young girl asked, "Wherever this is?"

"No, because what have we got?" the Time Lord grinned, "We've got K9!"

"Affirmative," K9 confirmed with a nod.

"Well we've got Ari...oh, she's exceptionally brilliant!" he added, giving his girlfriend a smile, "Always doing anything impossible," he turned back to the children, "And we've got you three. And any friend of Sarah Jane Smith is a friend of ours."

"But where is this?" Clyde asked them again, "What's happened to the rest of the world?"

"Our present location," K9 interrupted, "Nowhere, no when."

"No when?" Luke asked with a frown.

Ariana nodded, having come to a conclusion as she looked past over their shoulders, "Look at the clocks."

The children turned around to see a clock on the wall, ticking back one second and then forward, continuously.

"Time's stopped," Luke's eyes widened.

"What?"Clyde scoffed before looking down at his watch, "You're joking."

"No..."Luke corrects himself, going over to the TV of a horserace, replayingthe horse jumping over a wall, over and over, "This second's on a loop," he glanced up at a digital clock as it recorded down to thesecond, "23 seconds and 23 minutes past 3 o'clock."

"And we're caught inside it. In this one second."

"But again, where is Sarah Jane?" Clyde now demanded.

"I think she's right here," Ariana said looking around the room.

The Doctor and the children did the same looking around them as if Sarah Jane might come walking through those doors any moment. The Doctor wanders off to the sofa and knelt beside it listening to the floor.

 **-DoctorWho-**

"So we've been kept behind in this second..." Rani asked as the Doctor continued checking the floor by the sofa now wearing his brainy specs, Ariana was going through the settings on her sonic, trying to find the right one that could help them.

"Affirmative mistress Rani," K9 nodded.

"But the rest of the world, Mum and Dad and everyone else, they've moved on from here, forwards in time. Why has the Trickster trapped us here?"

The Doctor hopped up from the floor and whipped off his glasses, "Oh, come on, Rani. You know the answer to that," he looked over towards the stairs and headed over to them.

"We're Sarah Jane's friends, all of us,"Rani now suddenly realised, "Her _best_ friends..."

"Which means..." the Time Lady glanced at the young girl, giving her some encouragement to figure it out. She just found humans were so brilliant, especially children, they could see things adults have missed, thought of things more simply. But with the right amount of pushes in the correct direction, they could achieve anything.

"Hostages!"Rani span around, "He can use us to get at her!"

Clyde frowned, "We've met the Trickster before, but we've never found out who he is."

"The Trickster is a creature from beyond the Universe," the Doctor explained, slowly descending the stairs towards the children, "Forever trying to break in to our reality, manifest himself. He's one of the Pantheon of Discord."

"That's a good name for a band," Clyde said, lost in thought.

"Actually, not bad!" the Time Lord agreed as he looked at him.

"He's an eternal exile," Ariana buts in getting the conversation back on topic, "He only exists to wreak havoc."

"But we can fight him," the Doctor now added, as he turned to them, "The six of us, and we can win. Oh!" he pulled out his sonic beeping faintly, "Ha, that's it!"

"There's a faint time trace here," Ariana smiled, just as her sonic started beeping the Doctor having sent her the trace and now holding it out before her to help him search.

"Just a hint of Sarah Jane. Ooo, she's close."

 **-DoctorWho-**

They watched both aliens wondering about the room, following the signal with their sonics. Ari was near the back of the room, checking the doors while the Doctor for some reason, thought it was a good idea to track it by standing on the sofa.

He gave his sonic a shake, placing it beside his ear as it continued to beep.

Rani suddenly shivered, "What was that?" she looked up to the Time Lords, "Felt like someone just walked over my grave."

The Doctor looked down from the sofa he stood on as Ariana walked towards the girl, the closer she got, the faster her sonic beeped. The Doctor aimed his in the same direction his beeping just as rapidly. Jumping off the sofa he stood before them both.

"Oh!"he shouts, oh, walking slowly towards Ari, "Oh! She's here! She's here!" both holding up their sonics, they beeped so much together that it sounded like humming, "Sarah!"

"Sarah Jane," Rani sternly corrected him, "She doesn't like being called Sarah."

The Doctor eyed her for a couple of seconds before shrugging, "She does by me."

"Doc!" his girlfriend called for him.

Immediately turning back he sees the ghostly figure of Sarah in her wedding dress running past the door before them all and out the room.

"K9!" the Time Lord ordered, running towards the door.

"Scanning,Master!" K9 began.

"Doctor!" a ghostly voice echoed around them, sounding a lot like..."Doctor!"

"Mum!" Luke called out, running to the door where the Time Lords are flashing their sonics.

"That was her!" his friend added.

Ariana quickly turned to K9 flashing her sonic at him, "K9, I've sent the time trace over to you."

"Affirmative, mistress," K9 responded.

There is another ghostly echo in the room of a door shutting.

"K9!" the Doctor shouted, the beeping of the sonics now slowing.

Sarah Jane had now gone.

"Temporal schism divided in two, master," K9 replied.

"Of course!" Ariana gave the dog's head a fond pat, "We're trapped here in 3:23:23, and Sarah Jane's trapped too, just in another second."

"Hold on," Clyde cut in with a frown, looking at the Doctor, "You said you'd explain later, well, it's later..." both he and Rani crossed their arms, "Please explain."

The Time Lord looked to Ariana, who gave a nod, before giving a sigh,"The Trickster doesn't want us helping Sarah, so he's separated us. Trapped us in two different seconds."

"Doctor!" another ghostly call echoed above them.

Everyone looked up.

"Oh, she's upstairs," the Time Lord looked up, "Come on!" he grabbed Ari's hand, about to leave, "Luke, K9, watch for the TARDIS, you see it coming back, shout the place down for us."

"Orders accepted, master," K9 agreed with a nod.

"Rani, Clyde, you guys are coming with us!" the Time Lady added, the four of them now charging off.

"Spit spot!" the Time Lord called as they all ran up the staircase. Racing down the hallway through a door...only to end up in the chapel where they had started.

 **-DoctorWho-**

"How did we end up here again?" Rani asked catching her breath.

The Doctor and Ari looked about the room with concern...meaning that the Trickster was at work and knew that they were closing in. It rather put Ariana on the edge with Clyde and Rani being in the room with them as well, knowing the Trickster could appear at any given moment.

"It's a spatial loop mixed up with a temporal loop," Clyde replied to hisfriend.

BothTime Lords stopped and stared at the boy, rather stunned how spot on his guess was.

"How did you work that one out?"

Clyde smirked, putting his hands in the pockets of his brown suit, "Well, we've been doing this for a while now...I _have_ taken notes."

"Wow, he's so like you it's uncanny don't ya think?" Ariana whispered leaning over toward her mate.

"What?" he gave her a confused look.

She smirked back, "You know, the brown suit, white trainers, complicated scientific babble, tiny bit of an ego..." she sighed, "All he needs now is a pair of brainy specs to complete the package."

The Doctor looked between himself and the boy and his girlfriend before frantically shaking his head. He turned and walked by the two children, looking around the room, getting back to the business of rescuing Sarah Jane, "Come on, come on, come on, Sarah. Let us find you."

"Hang on, though. This is mad..." Rani shakes her head before walking forwards with Clyde towards the Time Lord as Ariana followed behind them, keeping a close eye out, watching the children's backs, "TheTrickster, he's this all-powerful immortal who wants to cause chaos throughout the stars...and he wants Sarah Jane to get _married_?" she turned to the Doctor, "What does he get out of _that_?"

The Doctor looked up at the children, "I've absolutely got no idea..."he admitted, walking back past them and over to the fireplace Ari following behind, both inspecting it as Rani and Clyde watched them.

 **-DoctorWho-**

Moments later Ariana fetched out her sonic as it began to beep rapidly, "She's here..." she looked around, before tweaking her sonic, heading towards the alter with the Doctor and children following her lead, "By narrowing the loop ratio I should be able..."

She flashed her sonic towards the voice calling out from behind them, "Doctor!"

The group turned around to spot the Trickster, watching the figure floating in front of the fireplace now robed in black.

"Ah, you look better in black or is white the new black?" he asked, gesturing for Ariana put her sonic away as he approached the Trickster.

"At last Doctor," the Trickster began, a raspiness to his voice.

The Time Lady walked forwards, motioning for Rani and Clyde to stay away as she now came and stand between her mate and the children as she too came face to face with the Trickster. Keeping a careful eye on the being, not willing to risk any distraction with the children present. She had this very motherly instinct to protect them, keep them out of the line of sight from the Trickster, so placed herself between them and the creature.

"I could feel this moment reverberating back through the ages, the meeting of the Pantheon of Discord and the last of the Time Lords..." the Trickster mocked with a bow, a smirk on his face just the Doctor faced him.

"I've known the legends of the Pantheon since I was a little boy," the Time Lord remarked, "We've ought your shadows and your changelings. I never thought we'd actually meet."

"And I know the legends of the Doctor, the man of ice and fire, who walked among gods, who once held the Key to Time in his hands," the Trickster smirked again, "Now he is surrounded by children."

"They're our friends," Ariana offered in defence, motioning for the children to still stay behind them taking a few steps forward and glaring at the Trickster.

"Which reminds me," the Doctor also added with a glare, "You're looking a bit lonely for a Pantheon."

"I embody multitudes."

"Oh..." the Doctor nodded, not believing the creature.

"But for you, the man who has lost everybody, to talk to _me_ of loneliness..." the Trickster briefly paused with a menacing grin, "But that will not save you, not when the Gate is waiting for you both?"

"What do you mean?" the Time Lady asked with narrowed eyes.

The Trickster only but laughed as he ignored her, "Sarah Jane Smith is my prize. Even you, Doctor, didn't realise how wonderful she is..."

"What do you want with her?" Ariana returned with a glare.

"What I always want from any of those I visit, their agreement. Goodbye,Doctor...Healer..."

And then just like that he disappeared.

"Agreement..." Ari pondered in thought with a frown, trying to focus on anything but the Trickster's veiled threats towards her and the Doctor. Her eyeswidened as she turned to look at him, "Doc, her agreement!"

"The power of words...she says I do. Yes! That's it!" he now looked to her understanding now what it meant.

"That's what?" Clyde frowned looking between the Time Lords.

"She promises to love and honour her husband," the Doctor started to explain in excitement, turning to his girlfriend, "The wedding ring goes on..."

"And then she's _agreed_ to it," Ariana now realised, "She'll be under the Trickster's control!"

"Marital bliss," the Doctor nodded in agreement, "But she forgets all about this. She starts living a new life."

"Forgetting about her old life," Rani gasped her eyes widening, "Protecting the Earth!"

"And the planet's wide open, so aliens can just barge in?" Clyde frowned.

"Without Sarah, without you lot saving the world from your attic in Ealing," the Doctor informed them, "There'll be chaos and destruction. Meat and drink to the Trickster."

"As if she's gonna say yes."

"What and ya don't think she will?" Ariana asked with a sigh, "We're here. We can't stop her from here."

Suddenly a low wheezing noise filled the room of what could only be the TARDIS engines, which drew the Doctor and Ariana's attention. Both turning around, charging towards the back of end of the room the others following as a blue haze appeared.

"TARDIS!" he exclaimed with a beaming smile as it becomes more pronounced, "Beautiful! Yes!"

"It's homing in on you!" Ari turned to the Doctor, just as excited, The emergency program, protecting the pilot!"

"Of course! Partial materialisation!"

"What's happening?" Luke asked as he ran in with K9.

"Look!" he pointed out to the crackling electricity surrounding the TARDIS, the result of Ariana's tampering before they had landed.

"That's pure Artron Energy!" Ariana warned the children.

"TARDIS power, equal enough to the Trickster's power," the Doctor grinned at them, "That's how we can fight him!"

The TARDIS having now solidified, with the energy still around it's edges as the Time Lords ran to the doors, just about managing to get it unlocked and get inside. But the wind started to pick itself up again, forcing the children backwards. The Doctor tried to reach out to them from the door, Ariana holding onto the side, trying to keep it open for as long as she could. Clyde manges to reach out and grab hold of the Doctor's hand when the winds got much more forceful. The Time Lords get sucked back inside the TARDIS, Clyde falling into the walls, dosed up with the energy. Toppling back just as the TARDIS dematerialised.

 **-DoctorWho-**

Ariana worked hurriedly on the controls, bringing up the image of the children on the monitor as she and her mate began running around the console, trying to force the TARDIS to take them back to Sarah Jane and warn her.

"Sweetie!" Ariana shouted with fear, following Clyde's every movement with ease now that he had absorbed the Artron Energy, "Clyde is facing off theTrickster!"

He comes to join his mate at the monitor to see the boy was indeed face-to-face with the creature, trying to give them more time to get to Sarah Jane or weaken the Trickster with the Artron Energy, or both.

"We need to get to Sarah Jane," he shouted, "Now!"

She nodded in agreement and whipped out her sonic, jamming her device into one of the ports on the console, locking in on the time trace with some struggle through the Trickster's powers and appear inside the chapel once again, but this time a second later in time.

They both ran towards the door, trying to force it open, only to see Sarah Jane standing by the altar with Peter.

"Sarah!" the Doctor shouted.

Sarah Jane turned around with a gasp and ran towards the Time Lords, "Doctor! Ari!"

"Hurry!" the Time Lady ground out desperately, struggling to keep the door opened, "She can't stabilise for much longer."

"Clyde is keeping the Trickster preoccupied at the moment," the Time Lord added, before slightly grinning, "Oh those three are just _brilliant_!"

"What can I do?" Sarah Jane asked them both, tears now in her eyes, "If I say no, we're trapped her forever, if I say yes, I condemn the world to the Trickster. Either way I lose, there's no way out."

"It all rests with you Sarah. Your greatest challenge. The hardest thing you'll ever face in your life."

"What is it? Tell me whatI've got to do."

The Doctor gave her a sad look, "You've fought the Trickster before, you know how he operates...how he can be defeated..." his gazed turned to Peter.

"No..." Sarah Jane breathed, looking over at Peter also. She swallowed harshly and turned back towards them, shaking her head with sorrow, "No..."

"We know you're a great guy Peter," Ariana spoke softly, looking at the man, "We're _really_ sorry."

Suddenly there's a crackle of electricity from behind them followed by a shout of pain. They all looked over to see Clyde and the Trickster appear, hands locked together as the Artron Energy swirled around them like a swarm of bees.

"We can't hold it no more!" Ariana shouted as the door slammed shut, throwing them backwards.

"Doctor! Ari!" Sarah Jane called for them outside, but the TARDIS just disappeared.

Ariana sat straight up and gasped making her way over to her boyfriends side, "It's all up Sarah now."

But the Doctor slowly shook his head, "Really, it's up to Peter..." he sighed thinking on the man. He had been the one who had made the deal with the Trickster, both having figured it out when they noticed Peter knew who thecreature was upon seeing it. Only he would have to be the one to take the deal back that had changed Sarah Jane's life, whatever it was, not Sarah Jane, "I'm just hoping he'll make the right choice."

Ari guided him back onto his feet, tugging him back towards the console to watch the proceedings unfold.

It actually brought tears to the Time Lady's eyes, watching Sarah Jane trying to convince Peter to take his deal back with the Trickster, how the man had faced the creature and gave his own life to free Sarah's...he had died for her. Peter had been on the brink of death when the Trickster had appeared before him and offered him life once more, as long as he got Sarah Jane and married her. He had been the source of her greatest happiness, and now he would be her greatest pain.

 **-Doctor Who-**

The TARDIS gave a violent shake as the Trickster's powers vanished. They get her to land inside the reception where Rani and Luke stood waiting, time back in place again as it should be.

Nobody said anything as theyraced back towards the chapel, bursting through the doors for whatseemed like the thousandth time. They find Sarah Jane kneeling on theground in her wedding dress, cradling an unconscious Clyde in herarms, almost on the verge of tears.

"Mum!" Luke cried, running over to her side, Rani kneeling on the other to check over Clyde, as the Time Lords walked past him and over to Sarah Jane.

"Doctor!" she gasped happily, as he brought him into a hug from her left, "Doctor!"

Sarah Jane, a little startled, glanced to her right as she felt Ari's hand now resting on her shoulder to see the Time Lady smiling at her with sadness.

"My Sarah Jane," the Doctor whispered back to her, "You did it, the trap's broken, time's moving forwards again..."

The room started to shake around them once again, "We're going home," Ariana said as she and the Doctor put their arms around everyone, holding onto them, keeping them protected.

"Hold on!" Luke shouted.

"We're all going home!" the Time Lord repeated.

The room continued to shake violently as the bright light filled it. The waves of energy surrounding them and then suddenly...

Ariana and the Doctor were back in the TARDIS where they had started, just moments after they had broken through the Trickster's barrier. The Doctor in doing so immediately set the coordinates for Sarah Jane's attic, knowing there was no need to rush back into the chapel anymore. Because it would only remind her of what had happened after he had burst through the last time.

 **-Doctor Who-**

The TARDIS materialised inside of Sarah Jane's attic, it was a tight squeeze, but fit perfectly enough.

"Doctor!" the Time Lords heard Sarah Jane gasp with joy from outside the doors.

"What do you take me for, Sarah?" the Doctor asked, opening the door to see a tearful Sarah Jane stood before him, surrounded by Luke, Rani and Clyde, "We just thought I'd go the quick wa..."

He suddenly got cut off by his mate shoving him out the way and charging towards Sarah Jane, pulling the woman into a proper hug.

Sarah Jane looked around at the children and then the Doctor, startled, now slowly returning to hugging the woman back. She closed her eyes and squeezed her more tightly, not realising how much she needed a good, tight, understanding hug. Both of the women had experienced the pains that come with love, they understood...and they both knew just how much a simple hug can help.

Now pulling apart, Sarah Jane now looked a lot more light hearted, the Doctor watching them both with a fond smile.

Ariana reached out and wiped away the woman's tears from her face with the pads of her thumbs and took a few steps back to look around, a tad embarrassed for how she'd practically pounced on poor Sarah like an overexcited child, and now coughed clearing out her throat, "Oh, I love it this is amazing!" she glanced over at her boyfriend, "What do make of it?"

"Oh yeah," he nodded with approval, looking about, knowing the last thing anybody needed to mention was the wedding, "Not big as theTARDIS, mind you, but cosy none the less."

"Canwe have a look?" Rani asked suddenly, rather eager to look inside.

"What, in the TARDIS?" the Time Lord frowned as the children excitedly nodded their heads, " _My_ TARDIS?" he now demanded, pretending to be angry. The three frowned back at him, not seeing the smirk spreading on Ari's face as she went back towards the Doctor. Reaching out and helping her up the few small steps at the TARDIS edge before glancing back at the children with a wide smile, "Course you can, yeah."

"Oh...wow!"Clyde gasped, "It really is, isn't it? It's bigger on the inside."

"It's beautiful!" Rani exclaimed, as she came to stand beside Luke.

"Transcendental dimensions," Luke smiled.

"Wow, what does this do?" Clyde asked with interest, about to reach out and touch a button.

"Hey, don't touch," Sarah Jane lightly scolded. The children looking down as she turned to Ariana and the Doctor who were leaning against a Y-beam, "You came all that way... _for_ me."

Because Sarah you're very important," the Time Lady reaches out and takesthe woman's hands in hers and squeezed them, with a smile on herface, "And not just him you know."

"The Trickster wanted to end your story, but it goes on. The things you've done, Sarah, they're pretty impressive, but, oh, the things you're going to do."

"The future..." Luke smiled, having overheard the conversation, "How about we could go for a ride?"

"Or back to the dinosaurs, yeah?" Clyde asked.

"Another planet?" Rani asked her eyes wide with excitement of the prospect.

"No way!" Sarah Jane voiced sternly stepping forward, "For one thing,you were grounded by the Judoon..."

"Ooh," Ariana winced with an intake of breath, "Now that's just barbaric."

The children gave her a smile.

"And your parents would never forgive me," Sarah Jane went on, "Go on..." the three children filed out of the TARDIS whilst the Doctor tugged Ariana to lean beside him against the console. Sarah Jane waiting until they were out, before turning back to both Time Lords, "Is this the last time I'm ever going to see you?"

She looked between them both. She'd only just got to properly meet Ariana, she just truly wants to get to know the woman, who has captured the Doctor's hearts better.

"We don't know," the Doctor said with a serious tone.

"But we'll hope not!" Ariana added with a grin.

Sarah Jane nodded, "Goodbye, Doctor, Ari...until the next time."

"Don't forget us, Sarah Jane," the Time Lord called after the woman.

Sarah glanced over her shoulder to look at them, "No one's ever going to forget _you_."

Both smiled softly as she walked out the TARDIS door, closing it shut behind her. The Doctor flipped one of the levers, sending her off back into the Vortex as their thoughts turned on all that had happened today.

"It was kinda nice, don't ya think?" Ariana asked, looking up to him.

"What was?" he frowned at her.

"Having kids in the TARDIS?"

"Yeah," he nodded slowly before a true smile grew on his face, "Yeah, suppose it was kind of nice."

Ariana smiled to herself about it...he's healed a lot more since losing Jenny and Alice with also the loss of his children many, many years ago. That he's probably realised closing himself up to any sort of love would only hurt him in the near future, it would only kill him more slowly, poison him, make him incapable of it...and that's something he doesn't want not being able to love his children ever, since children always affected him so.

"Well, you know never say never," Ariana started softly, "Someday maybe there will be kids running about the TARDIS again..."

She casually walked off with a smirk, leaving him to ponder along with a nod to her words until...

"Kids?!" he looked up at her with wide eyes.

She only but laughed and shakes her head, continuing to walk away laughing much harder as she heard him lose his balance and fall backwards off the console. Paused on the gantry and looked back down at him, smiling softly, "Well one day maybe."

She turned and continued walking away, knowing he probably had a similar smile growing on his face from her words.

One day maybe.


	6. The Waters of Mars Part 1

Text Key

'Telepathic communication'

"Gallifreyian"

-Doctor Who- chapter break

The TARDIS materialised on the rocky, red ground of Mars. Such a brilliant planet, the first to be colonised by the human race. Ariana couldn't help but grin seeing how excited her mate was about this, he was always fond of trips to alien planets even if it was in Earth's solar system and not particularly alien...he was just very pleased to be there.

They had begun making a habit of their trips recently. A trip for Ariana and then a trip for him. They'd had seen so much together and been on many adventures. It seemed as though the Doctor was making up for lost time with all these non-stop adventures he had missed without her. Sometimes it got rather tiring, but at the same time really fun! And with each trip their bond has grown stronger, seeing it, experiencing it, living it, had made them so much stronger, so much closer.

Ariana laughed whilst he secured the helmet of her spacesuit for their walk on Mars. Once prepared, he opened the doors and stepped out, holding the door open as she followed and stepped out.

"The Red Planet," he grinned happily, rather satisfied to now be here. He'd tried on aiming for the planet for the the last two trips they'd done for him and hadn't even landed in the correct galaxy both times.

"Well like the humans say," Ari commented, "The third time is the charm."

He laughed in agreement, looking out at the stunning red landscape around them, before taking Ariana's hand, both of them strolling along as if they were walking through a park. They stopped and paused at a ledge catching sight of a small base of sorts in the distance.

"Oh, beautiful!" the Doctor exclaimed at the sight. The base looked like a large dome like structure with six tunnels attached to it, with five smaller domes connected to them and a rocket.

That's when Ariana felt something hard and metal pushing into her back, "Uh...sweetie..."

Hearing the tone of his mates voice the Doctor looked over to see a small robot holding a probe against her.

"Rotate," it ordered with it's generic, metallic voice. Both of them locking eyes as they slowly turned raising their hands in the air and turned to face the little robot, "Slowly. You are under arrest for trespassing. Gadget, gadget."

The Time Lady looked down at the small robot, it had a white body with the wheels of a tank, long spindly arms and head with a camera built in. It continued to point the gun at them, joints sparking.

-Doctor Who-

An older woman with blonde hair and a stern look about her was now currently pointing her gun at the Time Lords now out of their spacesuits, the lights on it glowing blue, "State your name, rank, and intention."

The Doctor warily gazed at the gun being pointed at them, inching more closer to Ariana with an sudden instinct to protect her with him being near, "The Doctor..." he paused in thought, "Doctor..." he paused again before speaking sadly, "Fun?"

The woman gave a nod and turned to Ariana.

"Uh...Ari..." she frowned, "Medical Officer?" and gave a sigh and nodded in her mates direction, "I'm here to keep him out of trouble."

Sadly but surely she had failed miserably.

'Hey!' he spoke in her head, 'I'm never that bad!'

'Need I remind you that we ended up in the Tower of London on our previous trip,' she recalled to him.

'You know that wasn't my fault!'

'Oh, really, you tried flashing your sonic at Elizabeth IV amidst a civil war.'

'I thought the Queen was a clone!'

Before their tiny-argument could reach full scale a door burst opened and a dark skinned man came rushing inside the room, breathless having probably ran down one of long tunnels from another area on the base. He grinds to a halt, seeing the two of them standing there, with the captain pointing her gun at them, "What the hell? It's a man and a woman!" the Doctor casually just put his hands in his pockets as Ari now lowered hers, both watching the captain with interest as she continued pointing her gun, "A man and woman on Mars! How?"

A young dirty-blonde haired German woman with a side ponytail held up their suits, "They were wearing these things. I have never seen anything like it before."

"What did Mission Control say?"

"They're out of range for ten hours with the solar flares."

"If we could cut the chat, everyone," the captain cut in as she glared at them.

"Actually, chat's second on my list," the Doctor interrupted, "The first being a gun, pointed at her head..." he nodded in his mates direction, "And also my head. Which then puts our heads second and chat third, I think. Gun, heads, chat, yeah."

Ari shook her head, "Sorry, he's really bad with making lists."

The Doctor mocked her with a glare before turning his attention back to the captain, "But you could hurt someone with that thing. Just put it down."

"Oh, you'd like that," the captains sneered with narrowed eyes.

"Is there anybody else in this world who wouldn't?" the Time Lady countered.

"Why should I trust either of you?" she asked, still eyeing them with suspicion.

"Because we give you our word," the Doctor responded calmly, "And forty million miles away from home, our word is all you've got."

The captain considered his words for a moment, trying to stare the pair down but neither wouldn't budge. Slowly, but surely she now lowered the gun, "Keep Gadget covering them."

"Gadget, gadget," the robot now replied.

Both looking over their shoulders they see a young man sitting beside Gadget, wearing a pair of silver gloves with a keypad strapped before him.

"Oh right, so you control that thing," the Doctor commented, "Auto-glove response."

"You got it!" the young man replied showing off little how he controlled the robot, "To the right..." he moved his hand to the right, moving Gadget.

"Gadget, gadget."

"And to the left..." he now moved his hand left, moving the robot in the same direction.

Gadget sparked.

"It's bit of a flimsy job..." Ariana frowned, already mulling over a half a dozen ways she could fix it and make it better. As the young man now glared at her.

"Gadget, gadget!"

"Does it have to keep saying that?" the Time Lord asked, getting rather annoyed.

"I think it's funny," the young man countered with a response.

Making the Doctor tense up slightly, "I hate funny robots..." Ariana reached over laying her hand on his arm, trying to calm him a little, giving him some reassurance over her assessment of the robot.

"Excuse me, boss," a female voice comes over through the loudspeaker, "Computer log says we've got an two extra people on site. How's that possible?"

"Keep the Bio-dome closed," the captain ordered her, "And when using open comms, you call me Captain."

Both the Time Lords looked slightly impressed by how the captain and her take-charge attitude. Reminded Ari of Donna...she recalled through Alice's past memories when Donna had kicked the door opened in the Library.

"Yeah, but who is it?" the young woman asked again...but only for there to be a tiny amount of feedback as the captain disconnected the comm.

"They can't be a World State flight because we'd know about it," an older man now eyed them curiously, he had an air of authority about him, both guessing he must be second-in-command, "Therefore, they've got to be one of the independents, yeah?" the Doctor only but stood there was his arms folded across his chest while the captain came to face him, Ariana scanning around the base with her eyes a slight frown on her face, she had this niggling feeling that something was missing something important, "Was it the Branson inheritance lot? They've talked about a Mars shot for years."

"Right, yes, okay, you got us," the Doctor said impatiently, now rolling his eyes, "So, I'm the Doctor and this is my girlfriend Ariana. And you are?"

"Oh, come on!" the captain abruptly cut off with a scoff, "We're the first off-world colonists in history. Everyone on planet Earth knows who we are."

"The first?" Ariana asked, as her widen, going ridged, "The very first humans on Mars?" she slowly asked, looking around the room, "Which makes this..."

"Bowie Base One," her and the captain said together.

"Number one?" the Doctor, gaped in shock, "Founded July 1st, 2058. Established Bowie Base One in the Gusev Crater?" he looked in his mates direction who was now staring back at him in horror, just realising they were, in fact, on the first colony...which meant...

'Kas, sweetie,' Ari said ever so faintly, still in shock, 'We have to leave.'

"You've been here how long?" the Time Lord turned to them, hoping against his better judgement that they had a bit of time.

"Seventeen months," the captain responded.

"2059?" Ariana took a shuddering breath, now frightened, before quickly covering it up, "It's 2059, right now?"

"You're Captain Adelaide Brooke!" the Doctor now turned to the captain, both having recalled the date and the place where she had died...

"And Ed," the Time Lady frowned, looking over at the older man who was second-in-command, "You're Deputy Edward Gold..."

"Tarak Ital, M.D," the Doctor looked to the man who had run in earlier, "Nurse Yuri Kerenski," and to the other man with black hair.

"Senior Technician Steffi Ehrlich," Ari glanced at the woman who held up their spacesuits earlier before switching her eyes to the young man who controlled Gadget, "Junior Technician Roman Groom."

Mia now looked worried about his choice of words.

"Geologist Mia Bennett," the Doctor sadly frowned at the young Asian woman, "You're only 27 years old..."

"As I said," Adelaide informed with a roll of her eyes, "Everyone knows our names."

"Oh, they'll never forget them," he now sadly shook his head.

"What's the date, today?" Ariana quickly asked, "What is it? The exact date?"

"November 21st, 2059," Adelaide replied with a huff.

It was today. Today they were going die.

'Kas, we HAVE to leave,' Ariana seriously insisted.

He nodded to her vaguely, before he spoke to the crew, "Right! Okay, fine..."

"Is there something wrong?" Steffi asked eyeing them with concern.

"What's so important about my age?" Mia asked with a frown, now getting uncomfortable.

"Doctor," Ariana began to panic, but this time out loud, "We should...go. We really should go."

"We're sorry," the Doctor apologised as he frowned at them, "I'm sorry with all of my hearts. But it's one of those very rare times when..." Ariana took his hand and squeezed it, "When we've got no choice," she could feel the pain radiating off him from this encounter as it ate away from him, "It's been an honour!" he stepped forwards shaking everyone's hands, "Seriously, a very great honour to meet you all. The Martian pioneers. Oh, thank you!" he was about to shake Roman's hands but he still hand the gloves on, so patted the Gadgets head instead.

"Gadget, gadget."

He turned to Adelaide and gave her a salute, "Thank you!" he turned and went back over to his girlfriend in the doorway to ask, "Where's the other two. Hold on..."

"Margaret Cain and Andrew Stone," she replied, wondering the exact same thing.

"Maggie, if you want to meet the only new human beings that you're going to see in the next five years, better come take a look," Ed called to Margaret through the comms..

Instead of Maggie responding, a low, animalistic growl came over the speakers. Everyone looking up, rather unsettled.

'Well that didn't sound very good,' the Time Lord commented to his mate.

'Now, that's telling me we really, really need to go,' she responded, now growing more unsettled as the seconds ticked away, 'Now.'

"What was that?" Mia gasped in fright.

"Oh, we really should go!" the Doctor muttered, but didn't make any move to leave.

Ariana glanced between her boyfriend and the crew anxiously, knowing how much it killed them wanting to help, but knowing that this was a fixed point in time they knew they couldn't. They just couldn't...

"This is Central," Ed spoke over the comm, "Bio-dome report immediately."

"Show me the Bio-dome," Adelaide went to sit in front of the computer as Ed brought up the scans and images for her of the security footage but there was nothing only static.

"Internal cameras are down..."

"Show me the exterior."

Ed now dropped into the chair and work more on the controls, revealing an image of the Bio-dome outside, the lights inside it were going off, one by one.

"I'm going over," Adelaide announced as she stood, "Doctor, Ari, with me!"

This seemed to snap the Doctor out of his thoughts taking Ariana's hand and taking a step back together, "Yeah..." the Time Lord shook his head, "We're sorry, er...we'd love to help, but we're leaving, right now."

"Take their spacesuit," Adelaide, "Lock them up," doing as asked Steffi went and took to take them away, "This started as soon as you two arrived, so you're not going anywhere except with me."

-Doctor Who-

Ed glanced over at the Doctor, who looked uncomfortable, to Ariana who now looked a little pale and anxious to get away. But they couldn't do anything as Adelaide turned to usher the couple out of the room, handing each of them a torch, leading them down the tunnel with Tarak and Gadget, each using them to light their way, save for the Doctor who kept a protective arm around Ari as they walked. He could feel her tension from the combination of her Bond's imminent potential doom in a fiery explosion and that they had to let these people die for the sake of the timeline. He was feeling pretty much the same.

"Gadget, gadget."

"What's so important about Mia's age?" Adelaide asked, glancing over at the Doctor as they walked, "You said she's only 27. Why does it matter? What did you mean?"

"Oh, he just opens his mouth and sometimes words fall out," Ariana replied brushing the question off with a shrug, "They never make much sense...even I don't get it," she looked up giving him weary smile as he squeezed her shoulder a little more.

"You're telling me," Tarak remarked with a comment.

"Thank you, Doctor," the Doctor smiled over at the man.

"Any time," Tarak returned to him, "Doctor."

"Gadget, gadget."

The Doctor now glanced over his shoulder at the robot, "I hate robots. Did I say?"

"Yes, have many, many times," Ariana replied.

"Yeah, and he's not too fond of you!" Roman infromed with a grumble over the comm, "What's wrong with robots?"

"To be exact it's not the robot, he just takes an issue with the people," the Time Lady answered with a sigh, "That dress them up and giving them silly voices. It's like they're...reducing them."

"Yeah, friend of mine, she made her domestic robot look like a dog."

"Ah well, dogs. That's different."

"But I adapted Gadget out of the worker drones," Roman continued explaining proudly of his robot, "Those things are huge. They built this place when the shell was lowered down from orbit. They've got a strength capacity of fifteen tons..."

"The channel is open for essential communications only," Adelaide interrupted the converstion.

"Sorry..." Roman replied rather quickly, before quietly adding, "Love those drones."

Ariana carefully studied Adelaide's movements before carefully choosing her words, "We've read up on quite a lot all stuff about you, Captain Adelaide. But there is one thing they never quite explained...did..." she coughed a little to clear her throat, "Do you think this was worth it? This mission?"

Adelaide glanced over at the pair, "We've got excellent results from the soil analysis."

"No, but all of it!" the Doctor explained to her, "Because they say you sacrificed everything. Devoted your whole life to get here."

The woman was quite for only a moment before she spoke, "It's been chaos back home. Forty long years. The climate, the ozone, the oil apocalypse. We almost reached extinction. Then to fly above that, to stand on a world with no smoke, where the only straight line is the sunlight? Yes. It's worth it."

Both the Time Lords grinned back at her, "Ah. That's the Adelaide Brooke I always wanted to meet!"

"The woman with starlight in her soul," Ariana added softly.

Adelaide was now staring straight ahead, not having acknowledged their words, only to see a faint outline of a smile on her face. But it only faded quickly as they see something a few feet away, "What's that?" they all ran forwards towards it seeing the body of unconscious black woman lying before them, "It's Maggie."

"Don't touch her!" Ariana quickly warned them.

"I know the procedure!" he snapped at her before leaning over Maggie, speaking calmly to her pulling on some rubber gloves, "Maggie, can you hear me? It's Tarak. Maggie..." he now rolled her over, "It's ok, she's still breathing."

The Doctor and Ariana looked up through the darkness of the hallway, lit up only by dim emergency lights.

"She's alive!" Tarak called, pulling out his comm link, "Yuri, I've got Margaret Cain, head trauma. I need a full med-pack."

"I've got it," Yuri reported back, "Med-pack on its way.

A few moments later both Ed and Yuri came running down the corridor with a white stretcher and med-pack.

"Don't touch her," the Time Lord warned them, crossing his arms, "Use the gloves."

"Do what he says," Tarak agreed with a nod, leaning over Maggie, "Get her to Sickbay," he now ordered to Yuri, "Put her in isolation."

"We're going on to the Bio-dome," Adelaide replied, as she stood back up, "Tarak, with me. Yuri can take care of her. Ed, go back. Gadget, stand guard. Keep an eye on this area."

"Gadget, gadget."

"Captain, you're going to need me," Ed said turning to her as she sighed, "Andy is the only other crew member out here, and if that wasn't an accident," a startled look came across Yuri's face at the suggestion, "Then he's gone wild."

"You've deserted your post," Adelaide tensed up giving him a stern look, "Consider that an official warning. Now get back to work. Ari! Doctor!"

Both of them briefly glanced at Ed for a moment all three of them understanding the danger that might await them inside the bio-dome. The Doctor took his mates hand tightly in his own before they headed down the corridor, following Adelaide.

Steffi's voice came over the comm just as they reached the air locked doors of the Bio-dome, "Captain, that sound we heard from the Bio-dome, I've run it through diagnostics. According to the computer, it's...it's Andy," the group exchanged a look as they stepped inside the airlock, "It registers as the voice print of Andy Stone."

"Understood. Double check, thanks."

"Air-pressure stabilised," Tarak called over from the keypad as the doors opened. Adelaide was the first to step inside, followed by the Time Lords, and lastly Tarak. The two crew members flashed their torches about the room, as Ariana walked over towards a computer she spotted, they were going to need far much more light than this to survive if indeed this Andy person was out to get them.

"Andrew?" Adelaide yelled for the man, "Andrew Stone? It's Captain Brooke. Andy, report. I need to see you. Where are you?"

Ari yanked out two wires, fiddling with them as she tried to connect them in the dim lighting when the Doctor strode over and pulled out his sonic, getting the lights back on with just a single flash at the controls.

"Now that's just cheating," Ariana returned with a smirk as he helped her back up.

"Hey!" he returned mockingly, "You've got your own sonic too you know!" he waggled it before her and flipped it in his hand.

"What's that device?" Adelaide eyed the device in his hand.

"Screwdriver," the Doctor replied holding it up.

"Are you the Doctor or the Janitor?"

"I don't know, sounds like me," he shrugged with a smile, putting his sonic away.

"More like Maintenance Man of the whole Universe," the Time Lady joked with a chuckle.

"You stay with me," Adelaide turned to him it obvious she didn't trust him around anyone but her, "Don't step out of my sight. Tarak..." she turned to him, "Take Ari with you, go to External Door South. Make sure it's intact..."

"No," the Doctor interrupted, tightening his grip on his girlfriend, "Ari stays with me..." Adelaide started to open her mouth, "Or neither of us are going in there and we'll just stand by the door."

Adelaide gave a huff of defeat and rolled her eyes, "Fine, Tarak, external south door."

"Yes, ma'am," Tarak responded with a nod.

Adelaide watched him walk away before leading the pair through rows of plants.

The Doctor looked around him at the various plants growing in pots and racks as they walked through. Ariana eyeing up them up closely, "This is quite an achievement," she told Adelaide, "The first ever flower on Mars in 10,000 years."

"And you're growing veg as well!" the Doctor laughed with amazement.

"It's that lot," Adelaide remarked dismissively, "They're already planning Christmas dinner. Last year it was dehydrated protein, this year they want the real thing."

"Still, fair enough," the Time Lord shrugged, "Christmas."

"If we must," Adelaide returned with a small smile.

"You've got birds!" Ariana looked up soon as they heard the birds chirping and tweeting above them.

"It's part of the project, to keep the insect population down."

"Good sign," the Doctor agreed.

"In what way?"

"Well, they're still alive."

The comm now started crackling as Yuri's voice came through, "Captain, good news. It's Maggie. She's awake. She's back with us," there's some rustling before he speaks again, "Hey. How are you, soldier? Just take it easy. Can you remember what happened?"

"I was just...working," Maggie replied, "Then I woke up here."

"What about Andy?" Adelaide now asked her, "We can't find him. Was he alright?"

"I don't know. I just..."

"If you remember anything, let me know straight away."

"Yuri, does she know how she ended up in the tunnel?" Ed now called through.

"And keep the comms clear. Everything goes through me, got that?"

-Doctor Who-

They are almost halfway through the Bio-dome when Yuri's voice comes through the comms, "This is Sickbay," she sounded rather distressed, "We have a situation! Maggie's condition has...I don't know! I don't know what it is! It's...it's water, just pouring out!"

"Yuri, calm down," Adelaide called through her comm after picking it up. Both the Time Lords now sharing a look of concern, "Just tell me what's happened to her."

"The skin is...sort of broken around the mouth. And she's exuding water, like she's drowning!"

"Tarak, this area's unsafe," Adelaide called over to him through the comm, "We're going back. Tarak? Tarak!"

"Where was he?" the Doctor urgently asked looking around.

Adelaide took off, running through the Bio-dome heading back towards the south door, Ariana and the Doctor running after her. They went by more rows of plants when Adelaide had suddenly had stopped. Ariana took hold of her mates arm as he continued to run, tugging him back in the other direction to where Adelaide stood. There, right at the end of the row, they see Andy standing over Tarak who was kneeling, his hand was touching his head, pouring water all over him.

Ari moved her torch to shine the light over them both.

"Andy," the Doctor began, hesitantly but softly, "Just leave him alone."

Adelaide got out her gun, aiming it towards Andy, "Step away from him officer, that's an order. As captain of this group, I order you, don't!"

The Time Lady looked between the two as Adelaide took a few more steps forward, speaking just when the Doctor said, "We can help, we promise! We can help! Just leave that man alone. Andy, I'm asking you to take your hand away from him and listen to us."

Ariana now ran up to them, putting each arm in front of them both, stopping them, as Andy turned his head towards them. Adelaide let out a gasp, upon seeing his face. Around the edges of his mouth were dried and cracked as mud on a scorching hot day, still leaking water while his eyes were nearly white as a sheet. He just stared blankly at them, eyes wide with no emotion, lifted his hand off Tarak's head who had now fallen to the ground unconscious.

"There now, that's better, hmm?" the Doctor greeted quietly and calmly as possible, "So, you must be Andy. Hello."

"Sweetie," Ariana murmured nervously, "I don't think that's such a good idea."

Tarak slowly rised and turned to them, his mouth cracked and eyes white just like Andy's, leaking water.

"We've really gotta go," Ariana quickly turned to Adelaide.

The three of them turned and ran, with Andy and Tarak on their heels through the Bio-dome. They get to the door, pried it open and ran through it.

"Set the seals on maximum!" Ariana shouted out to the captain as she and her mate worked together on shutting the door, just about managing to get it closed before Andy had raised his arm shooting a jet of water at them.

The Doctor pounced away from the door, pulling his mate with him, both of them almost going into Adelaide as she stared through the little window as Andy approached who started banging his face against it.

"Captain, we need you back here," Steffi now came of the comm.

"Just tell me that Maggie is contained," Adelaide responded, her voice shaking slightly, "Can you confirm, Ed?"

"Confirmed," her second-in-command replied, "She's locked in."

"Keep surveillance till I get back. And close down all water supplies. All pipes and outlets. Don't consume anything. Have you got that, everyone? That's an order. Don't drink the water. Don't even touch it. Not one drop."

Ari slowly walked towards the door, staring through the window at Andy who only but stared back, as if it was trying to find some way inside.

"Can you talk?" the Doctor asked as they continued to watch Andy through the window.

"Human beings are sixty percent water," Ariana offered in thought, "Which makes them the perfect host..."

"What for?" Adelaide asked her with a frown.

"Don't know," the Time Lord only but shook his head, pulling his girlfriend away.

"And we never will," Ariana agreed, turning to her mate, "Because we've have to go. Whatever's started here, we can't help you see it out to the end. Sorry but we just can't."

Suddenly Andy slammed himself against the door, causing them to jump as Tarak came along to help, both spraying water from their mouths at the doors seal.

"This thing's airtight, yeah?" the Doctor asked nervously, pulling Ariana by the hand tugging her behind him.

"And therefore watertight," Adelaide replied with a nod.

"Now that would depend on how cleaver this water actually is, don't ya think?" Ariana offered with a mumble as the lock started to suddenly spark.

"They're fusing the system!"

"Abandon ship!" the Time Lord shouted, pushing both women through the second door. They get out into the tunnel, with Andy and Tarak having managed to get through the second door and chase after them.

Ariana came skidding to halt in front of Gadget, whipping out her sonic.

"We haven't got time!" Adelaide shouted over to her.

"These guys can run faster than us," the Time Lady replied, shining her sonic at the robot, "So we're going to need something that's much faster than them."

"Gadget, gadget."

The Doctor hopped on behind Gadget, pulling his girlfriend up also, "Get on!"

"That thing goes at two miles an hour!" Adelaide's countered.

"Not any more it won't," Ari replied.

"So trust us," the Doctor added.

Adelaide looked over her shoulder at the fast approaching figures before taking the Time Lady's outstretched hand and jumping on beside her. Ariana flashes her sonic once again, nodding to her mate.

"Ready, gadget?" he asked the robot.

"Gadget, gadget."

The Doctor whizzed off, flames seeping out of the small robot as it sped down the hallway, leaving twin trails of its flaming tyre tracks behind. Both Andy and Tarak trying to keep up but struggling.

The Time Lord continued looking forward with a face of grim determination as Ariana kept him informed of their progress from behind as both she and Adelaide tightly held on to the sides of Gadget. Soon enough they had reached the tunnels end, the robot looking a little worse for wear and burnt on its edges.

"The Central Dome airlocks have got Hardinger seals," Adelaide informed, jumping off Gadget and hurriedly getting the door unlocked to the central dome, "There's no way they can get in."

They ran through, as the Doctor held open the door for Gadget, "Come on, come on!"

"Gadget, gadget."

"Come on, come on!" he urgently ushered the robot which was being rather clumsy moving towards the door.

"I thought you hated robots!" Adelaide shouted in remark.

"I do!"

"Yeah only if they save lives," Ari amended.

Soon as Gadget had finally rolled through into the room, they quickly shut the door behind them, sealing it off from Andy and Tarak just as they reached it.

"We're safe," Adelaide gasped, "It's hermetically sealed. They can't get in."

"Water is patient," Ariana informed her with a shake of her head, "Water always waits, wears down the clifftops, mountains, the whole world..." she gave her a meaningful look, "And water always wins."

"Come on!" the Doctor shouted, grabbing her hand and taking her out the room, Adelaide following after them as she got out her comm.

"Bio-dome tunnel is out of bounds," she announced, opening another door to another tunnel, "Andy and Tarak are infected. Repeat, infected. Make no contact. And if they make the slightest move, tell me. I'm going to the Medical Dome."

They ran down the tunnel towards the Medical Dome but the Time Lord couldn't but help remark, "Blimey, it's a distance. You could do with bikes in this place."

"Every pound in weight equals three tons of fuel."

"Yeah, I know, but bikes..."

Adelaide looked at the Doctor as if he was mad.

"Trust me I know that feeling well," Ariana commented to the captain.

Adelaide only but shook her at them both before running into Medical Dome where they find Yuri and Ed watching Maggie, standing behind glass. She looked exactly like Tarak and Andy, except for her eyes not being white.

"Has that door got a Hardinger seal?" Adelaide asked eying the door that's a few feet from Maggie.

"No, just basic," Ed simply replied.

"Then the moment she heads for the door, we evacuate. Got that?"

Ed turned back to the medical monitor, "Pulse is low," he informed, "Electrical activity in the brain seems to be going haywire."

"Can she talk?"

"Don't know," Yuri remarked with a shake of their head, "She was talking before we noticed the change, but..."

"Maggie, can you hear me?" Adelaide walked over and stood before the glass, "Do you know who I am?" Maggie didn't respond, instead she turned her eyes to the Time Lords, "Your commanding officer, Captain Adelaide Brooke. Can you tell me what happened?"

The Doctor began speaking in an odd language, Ariana joining in now and again, as the crew looked at them in confusion...all except Maggie who just stared at them, eyes having gotten wider.

"What language is that?" Ed asked with a frown.

"It's Ancient North Martian," Ariana informed.

"Don't be ridiculous," Adelaide disbelievingly scoffed.

"It's like she recognised it," Ed commented.

"And her eyes are different," the Doctor frowned, looking at Maggie, "They're clear, like she's closer to human."

"Not close enough for me."

"Where do you source your water from?" the Time Lady asked, eyeing the water that dripped out of Maggie's mouth.

"The ice field," the captain replied, "That's why we chose the crater. We're on top of an underground glacier."

The Doctor nodded, "Tons of water. Marvellous."

"But every single drop is filtered," Yuri argued shaking his head, "It's screened. It's safe."

The Doctor scoffed nodding his head at Maggie, "Looks like it, yeah."

"If something was frozen down there..."Ed began, "A viral life form, held in the ice for all those years."

"Look closely at her mouth," the Time Lady softly murmured, as she leant forwards, "It has blackened, developing some sort of fission. This thing, whatever it is, doesn't hide in the water, it creates water."

The Doctor now stepped beside Ari, looking at Maggie, "Tell us what you want."

"She was looking at the screen, at Earth," Yuri said as Maggie stared back, "She wanted Earth. A world full of water."

"Captain, with me,"Ed now insisted, heading to the other side of the room with Adelaide. But both the Time Lords now exchanged a glance before the Doctor headed towards the computer with intent on listening while Ariana kept watch on Maggie.

"I'm sorry, but it's an unknown infection and it's spreading," Ed said with a hushed tone, even with the Time Lords heightened sense of hear they could still hear him, "That demands Action Procedure One."

"Do you think I don't know that?" Adelaide demanded with a glare.

"I think you need reminding."

"Yeah," she tiredly nodded.

"Well, at least I'm good for something."

"Now and again," she returned with a tiny smile.

Ed returned with half a smile, "That's almost a compliment. Things must be serious."

Both of them now smiled, when the Doctor interrupted their bonding moment, "Sorry, sorry, but, Action One, that means evacuation, yeah?" he looked over his shoulder at his girlfriend who had since moved closer to the computer where he'd just been, looking on.

Adelaide responded with a nod, "We're going home," she grabbed her comm, "This is Captain Brooke. I'm declaring Action One. Repeat to all crew members, this is Action One with immediate effect," the alarm started to sound, "Evacuate the base," she waits a moment before speaking again, "Steffi what's your estimate on shuttle viability?"

"It's a nine month flight..." Steffi began to explain, "It'll take us at least three hours to load up everything we need."

"You've got twenty minutes! And give me a report on Andy and Tarak."

"Still in the Bio-dome tunnel. They're just standing there, like they're waiting."

"Keep an eye on them, and make that twenty minutes fifteen," she looked over seeing the Doctor and Ariana standing near to where Maggie is contained, they had odd expressions across their faces as if they were having a private conversation but neither of them was speaking, "Ed, line up the shuttle. Go straight to ignition status."

"Doing it now!" Ed charged out of the room.

"But what about Maggie?" Yuri asked with a frown.

"She stays behind," Adelaide responded as she continued packing, "We've got no way to contain her on board. Close this place down. I want the power directed to the shuttle."

"Of course, the only problem is..." the Time Lord began, as he walked over. Both of the Time Lords having been discussing the procedure, how that it wouldn't work...and how to actually keep them from going through with it, not because the knew that the base was destined to explode, but because any of the other crew members could have possibly been infected without them knowing, just like Maggie had been.

"Thank you, Doctor, Ari. Your spacesuit will be returned. And good luck to you."

"The problem is that this thing is exceptionally clever," Ariana now stepped up also, "The birds were living inside the Bio-dome, but never got infected. Which means this infection, is clever enough to choose humans as their hosts. I told you, Adelaide, water can wait. Tarak and Andy changed the very moment they got infected, but with Maggie...it had stayed hidden inside her. So it could infiltrate the Central Dome. Which means..."

Adelaide nearly stumbled in realisation, "Any one of us could already be infected. We've all been drinking the same water."

"And if you take that back to Earth..." the Doctor confirmed with a nod, "One drop. Just one drop."

"But...we're only presuming infection," she argued desperately, "If we can find out how this thing got through, when it got through..." she turned, "Yuri, continue with Action One. I'm going to inspect the ice field."

Yuri nodded and went on with his work as Adelaide left the room.

Ariana gave a sigh and turned to her mate, "We should leave. Now. We should go..."

He looked down to her and nodded, "No point in us seeing the ice field...no point at all...no..."

His girlfriend only but shook her head, noticing where his thoughts were going, "Sweetie, we just can't..." she took hold of his hand in hers, "We just can't stay here to find what is going to happen next. We've gotta leave. Now."

The Doctor began to hesitate, "But what if it's like Pompeii?"

"Then we'll be the ones who caused it," she recalled, having remembered slight snippets of Alice's adventure to the ancient Roman city.

"Then lets be the ones to cause it," he countered.

Ariana frowned up at him, "I felt that pain you went through with Pompeii," she went on softly squeezing his hand, "Do really want to go through that same pain again?"

He didn't give her a response, looking over her shoulder in the direction Adelaide had went, "I'm sorry...Ari" he whispered, affectionately kissing her forehead, "Pompeii or not we need to see this through to the end..." he took her hand and squeezed it.

No matter how desperately he wanted to leave, get Ariana away from this place before it got too dangerous, so far the crew were planning to leave, if this was the same as Pompeii, they would have to stay here and make sure it would explode...no matter how devastating the outcome would be.

He turned on his heels and pulled his mate down the hallway after the captain, "Adelaide!"


	7. The Waters of Mars Part 2

Text Key

 _'Telepathic communication'_

 _"Gallifreyian"_

 **-Doctor Who-** chapter break

Ariana bit down on her lip hard as she ran down the tunnel with her mate, both catching up easily with Adelaide.

"All I'm saying is...bikes!" the Doctor spoke up, now trying to lighten the mood, "Little foldaway bikes. Don't weigh a thing."

They come running through an door into a large open area, overlooking the ice fields, with a square cut into it's base where a huge sheet of ice could be seen in the ground. Where they came to chip away the ice and melt it.

"They tell legends of Mars from long ago," the Time Lord commented, as he stared down at the ice, "Of a fine and noble race who built an empire out of snow. The Ice Warriors."

"I haven't got time for stories," Adelaide brushed him off with a wave of her hand, running towards a computer.

"They probably discovered something," Ariana answered, "Using what resources and power they had to freeze it down there."

"We need to find any sort of change in the water process," Adelaide informed them, as she now started looking on the computer, "We've got to date the infection."

The Doctor came over and went to type into the computer next to Adelaide's for just a moment, "Access denied," the computer announced.

Ariana let out a sigh and lightly shoved him to the side, typing away frantically, as Adelaide glanced between the pair from time to time.

"You both don't look like a cowards," Adelaide commented with a remark, "But all you've wanted to do is leave," she glanced at them sideways, "You both know so much about us."

"Well, you're famous," the Doctor replied with a shrug, as he watched his girlfriend typing away.

"It's like you know more."

"This moment..." the Doctor began, struggling, trying his best to find the right words to use without giving anything away, Ari glanced up at him with a look of warning, "This precise moment in time, it's like...I mean, it's only a theory, what do I know, but, I think certain moments in time are fixed. Tiny, precious moments. Everything else is in flux. Anything can happen. But those certain moments, they have to stand. This base on Mars with you, Adelaide Brooke, this is one vital moment. What happens here must always happen."

Adelaide suddenly tensed up and turned to them, obviously frightened from his words but covered it up, "Which is what?"

"We honestly don't know," Ariana told her quickly, shaking her head at her boyfriend.

 _'Kas we can't tell her. If we tell her too much then it could change everything for the worse,'_ she sternly warned him.

 _'But we just can't leave her here to deal with this by herself not without knowing things will be okay in the end,'_ he argued back.

 _'They die in an explosion, tell me how that's okay?'_ she asked with a fiery temper.

 _'The future her granddaughter will create is because of her. That's how Ari.'_

"I think something wonderful happens," the Doctor turned to look at Adelaide, trying to give her some sort of comfort, "Something that started fifty years ago, isn't that right?"

The woman's eyes widened as she turned to the Time Lords, frightened of how he knew this about her, about that especially, "I've never told anyone that..."

"You told your daughter."

 _'Kas,'_ she called to him in warning but he just wouldn't listen.

"And maybe, one day, she tells the story to her daughter," he continued on having ignored his mate, "The day the Earth was stolen and moved across the universe. And you..."

Adelaide hesitated at first, sensing that they somehow already knew of this story, but she spoke anyway, "I saw the Daleks...we looked up. The sky had changed. Everyone was running and screaming. And my father took hold of me..." she trailed off into her thoughts, remembering that very day, "He took me to my room and told me to stay, that he was going to find my mother and get her back. He promised they would come back together...I never saw him again. Nor my mother. They were never found. But out on the streets, there was panic and burning. I went to the window...and there, in the sky, I saw it, Doctor, a Dalek. And it saw me. It stared at me. It looked right into me. And then...it simply went away. I knew, that night, I knew I would follow it."

"But not for revenge though," Ariana spoke up, with more of a statement than a question.

"What would be the point of that?"

The Doctor smiled, "That's what makes you remarkable. And that's how you create history."

"Doc," Ariana warned turning to him sharply.

"What do you mean?" Adelaide gave a confused look between them both.

"Imagine it, Adelaide," he quickly began, knowing if he stopped and hesitated, Ariana and his own mind would stop him from going on, "If you began a journey that takes the human race all the way out to the stars. It begins with you, and then your granddaughter, you inspire her!"

"Doctor!" soon as Ariana's eyes widened, she could see it in his eyes what he was about tell the captain, only that it was too late.

"So that, in thirty years, Susie Fontana Brooke is the pilot of the first lightspeed ship to Proxima Centauri. And then everywhere, with her children, and her children's children forging the way. To the Dragon Star, the Celestial Belt of the Winter Queen, the Map of the Watersnake Wormholes."

"Stop it! Stop it right now!"

"One day a Brooke will even fall in love with a Tandonian prince, that's the start of a whole new species," the Doctor continued to smile, still looking at Adelaide, "But everything starts with you, Adelaide. From fifty years ago to right here, today. Imagine."

Ariana shook her head with disbelief, _'Kas do you realise how many laws you've just broken?'_

'She'll die in the explosion either way remember?' he returned bitterly. At least he could give Adelaide some sort of reassurance and comfort that she gave the human race the way to survive.

"Who are you?" she paused, looking at them both, "Why are you telling me this? Doctor, why tell me?"

"Don't you dare," the Time Lady warned him with a threatening finger, which made Adelaide frown in concern.

"As consolation," he responded, even though it pained him.

Ari hit a button a little harder than necessary after he had said it, having finally cracked into the system, a log popped up on screen with Andy's profile.

"Ah ha, Andy Stone," she read, "He logged in only yesterday."

She clicked on the log and a video of Andy comes up, "Maintenance log, 21:20, November 2059. Number three water filter's bust," he held up the filter, "And guess what? The spares they sent don't fit. What a surprise. Over and out."

"A filter!" the Time Lord nearly laughed, "One tiny little filter and then the Flood!"

"But that means the infection arrived today, and the water's only cycled out of the biodome after a week," Adelaide sighed with relief and grinned, "The rest of us can't be infected. We can leave!" she brought up her comm, "Ed, we're clean, how are we doing?"

"Shuttle's active, stage one," Ed reported.

Adelaide nodded and turned running back into the central hub, the Time Lords running after her. The Doctor had a pained expression on his not from what he knew was eventually coming for the crew, but the anger he could feel radiating off Ariana, she was more than just angry she furious.

"You were right, Doctor," Adelaide spoke lightly.

"What about?" he looked over to the woman, having been pulled out of his thoughts.

Adelaide returned with a smile, "Bikes!" he managed to return with a half-hearted chuckle as they now reached the control room again. Adelaide had gone over to the bin and had got out their spacesuits, handing them back over to the Time Lords, "Now get to your ship. I'm saving my people, you save yourselves. I know what this moment is. It's the moment we escape. Now get out!"

Ariana winced from the hopefulness Adelaide had in her voice as the Doctor clutched tightly to the spacesuits, as he stared after her in pain. Both of them stood there, frozen, watching the crew who continue packing, knowing the absolute truth of what will happen.

A faint beeping that now had begun catches the Time Lady's ears as she now look to where it was. She saw the light blinking of the alarm, the bio-feed tracking of Andy and Tarak blaring. But with all the commotion, the crew hadn't noticed. She lightly nudged the Doctor, both of them looked form the beeping to the ceiling where the computer is indicating where the other two crew members are, only that they just don't say word.

 _'You know we can't stay,'_ she whispered to him, _'Enough damage has already been_ done.'

The Time Lord winced, knowing that he had given Adelaide some hope...

The crew continued on packing for a while longer, before Adelaide noticed the alarms, "What the hell's that noise?" she demanded to her crew, "Mia, you lot, shut up!"

"It's the module sensors," Ed informed her, "Exterior twelve. The cameras are down, but there's pressure on top of the module. Two signals right above us."

"That means..." Steffi's voice began to shake with fright, "...they're on the roof?"

"How did they get inside the Dome?" Roman asked with a shake of his head.

"They used the maintenance shafts," Ed responded with a sigh.

"The shaft's open and they haven't got spacesuits," Mia gasped as she quickly grabbed Yuri's hand.

"They breathe water."

"But they'd freeze," Steffi only but argued.

"They've got that internal fission," Yuri remarked shaking his head.

"But we're safe," Mia tried giving some hope, "They can't get through, can they?" the ceiling creaked and grinded from above, "Can they?"

"This place is airtight," Roman gasped.

"Can it get through?" Steffi looked to their second-in-command, "Ed, can it get through?"

"I don't know!" Ed only but frowned, "Water itself isn't motile, but it has some sort of persistence."

"Everyone, listen to me," Adelaide shouted now taking charge of the situation, "That's ten feet of steel-combination up there. We need all the protein packs or we're going to starve. Now keep working. Roman..." she gave his arm a tap and pointed up, "Watch the ceiling. Ed, get to the shuttle. Fire it up."

"I can carry more than this lot, Captain!"

"That's an order!"

"Captain!" he returned with a half a grin and ran out.

 _'Kas,'_ Ariana whispered, resting her forehead on his arm as Adelaide glanced in their direction amidst to the crew scrambling about trying to figure how to survive, _'Come on, we need to leave it's already started going to hell...we caused none of this so come on let's go.'_

She forcefully tugged his hand, guiding him out from the room, without either of them looking back. They made it to the airlock they'd be brought through, both pulling on their suits in silence. Ari watched him as he just finished suiting up, concern coming off her in waves towards him. He looked and felt devastated. She could feel it also, she never did or wanted this to happen, not after she had got to know Adelaide Brooke. But this was nothing like Pompeii, not a soul would have survived this explosion

"Ready?" she asked her mate, helping him attach his helmet.

"Not really," he replied, still taking her hand and turning to face the airlock.

Now stepping inside and closing the door behind them. Ariana reached out to push the button for the other door to open only...

"Access denied," the computer informed.

She gave it another go but...

"Access denied."

"Tell me what happens," Adelaide's voice comes through the comm inside their suits.

"We don't know," the Time Lady answered.

"Yes, you do. Now tell me."

"You should be with the crew..."

"Tell me!" she demanded of them, but they stayed silent, "I could ramp up the pressure in that airlock and crush you."

"Except you won't," the Doctor said, tightly squeezing his mates hand just at the very thought, "You could have shot Andy Stone, but you didn't. I loved you for that..." he paused for a moment, "Imagine..."

For another moment there's complete silence as the Time Lord battled with himself to whether not to reveal the truth to her.

"Imagine you knew something," Ari carefully spoke, "Imagine that you were in Pompeii..."

"What the hell's that got to do with it?" Adelaide asked with frustration.

"And that you wanted to save them and by trying to help, you make it happen."

"Anything I do just makes it happen," she heard her mate mumble, sounding tired and broken the she felt herself almost starting to cry, but she need to be the strong one for him.

"Captain, we need you right now!" Steffi called before a door closed.

"I'm still here," Adelaide spoke after a moment.

The Time Lord sighed deeply, before facing the camera, "You're taking Action One."

"Doctor," Ariana whispered angrily, tugging him by the hand.

"There are four more standard action procedures. And Action Five is..."

"Detonation," Adelaide responded instantly.

"The final option. The nuclear device at the heart of the Central Dome."

"Doctor, don't you dare!" Ariana warned, knowing the words he was about to speak would set everything into motion the events that had kept this a fixed point in time as it should be, but knowing the Doctor it would be him responsible for it, that it could kill him.

He only but ignored his mate.

"Today, on the 21st of November 2059, Captain Brooke activates that device, taking the base and all her crew members with her. No one ever knows why. But you were saving Earth."

"Stop, stop it right now!"

"That's what inspires your granddaughter. She takes your people out into the galaxy because you die on Mars. You die today. She flies out there like she's trying to meet you."

Adelaide gasped disbelievingly, "I won't die..." they could hear the tears in her voice before she spoke up with determination, "I will not!"

There's only silence.

"But your death creates the future."

"Help me," Adelaide pleaded, "Why won't you help? If you know all of this, why can't you change it?"

"Because we can't," the Time Lady shook her head, "Adelaide, we're always aware. But we just can't help you."

"Why can't you find a way? You could tell me, I don't know."

"I'm sorry, but I can't!" the Doctor shouted in frustration, silencing the woman, "Sometimes we can. Sometimes we do. Most times we can save someone or anyone. But not you. You wondered all your life why that Dalek spared you. I think it knew! Your death is fixed in time. Forever. And that's right."

There is silence between them again before Ariana took a deep breath, "For us to change...something that has such a significant impact on the events of history...and the future...takes too much power," she blinked back her tears, "It makes you turn into monster."

"You'll die here too," Adelaide replied swallowing harshly.

"No," the Time Lord simply replied.

"What's going to save you?"

"Captain Adelaide Brooke," he smiled but failed to.

Another round of silence came before Adelaide whispered, "Damn you."

The airlock now unsealed...as they stepped out onto the Martian surface...but...they heard every single thing.

"Water!" they heard Roman shouting, "We've got water!"

"Get back!" Mia now called, "Get back! Captain! Don't touch it, Roman. Get back. Get back!"

"Everyone, we're abandoning this section," they heard Adelaide shouting orders, "Get to the shuttle. Yuri, lead the way. Section B corridor, now!" a door opened and water began pouring in, "Close it!"

"Yuri," Steffi shouted to her crew mate, "Lock the door behind you! Did that water touch you?"

"I'm clean!" Yuri responded, "I'm dry!"

"Everyone, section B is out!" Adelaide started taking charge, "Listen to me. Take every pack that you can. We'll go round. We'll make our way out through Section F."

"Transferring oxygenation to Section F," Steffi complied, "Mia you take the red-line stock. And hurry up!"

There's an almighty crash and the sound of more pouring water. As everyone now called out for Steffi...she must have got trapped.

All the Doctor could do was tightly close his eyes, as Ari took his hand in hers as if to anchor him there in that very moment, but they had to leave now, keeping him from running back toward the base to help like she knew he was fighting himself not to.

"Shut the door!" Roman called out, "Close the door!"

A door slammed shut with force and shouting out to Steffi, promising they would come back, to free her. She was really stuck now.

"Captain, it's inside!" Steffi screamed fearfully.

Ariana couldn't help but wince.

Steffi's screaming becomes louder.

She sharply tugged her mates hand, forcefully trying to pull him out of the door and onto land, but they still could hear the screaming.

"The access panel's fused, Captain!" Roman informed, "We can't open it."

Steffi still screamed.

"We can't get through!" Yuri shouted back to her.

"I can't move!" Steffi begged.

The Time Lord tensed up as Ari bit onto her lip holding in the sob as a little girl speaking German played through the comm, Steffi's daughter.

The woman sobbed, replaying the voice over and over, leaving the Time Lords only to listen as they tried willing themselves to walk away.

"Steffi!" Adelaide called for her, "Can you hear me?"

All they heard was Steffi's body convulsing.

"Oh, my God," Mia gasped.

They continued on.

"Out, get out!" Adelaide commanded, "Ed, we're going round the long way. How are we doing?"

"All systems online 100 percent, not a single delay," Ed replied to her, "Don't you worry, Captain, we are going to fly!"

There was flares of light behind them as the shuttle fired up.

"I need air in section F right now. All of you!" Adelaide ordered.

"Locking chamber three," Yuri confirmed, "Locking chamber four."

"Gate five is open. Gate six is open!"

"Roman, come on. With me!" Adelaide shouted at him.

Roman stayed silent for moment before regretfully responding, "You'd better go."

"Don't just stand there. Move!"

"You'd really better go without me," he almost cried, "I'm sorry, Captain. One drop."

The Doctor clenched his eyes shut in agony as Roman convulsed, changing as well. The other crew members screaming out for him.

Ariana gave his hand another squeeze as they went on walking.

Mia and Yuri had begun to arguing, only for Yuri to tug her away as she tried to go back and help Roman.

Another door had just opened and a spray of water comes through, following with Ed coming through the comm.

"Captain. The shuttle is down," Ed groaned with pain.

Ariana gasped, trying to hold back her tears as much as she could hearing him to try and fight off the infection.

"What the hell do you mean?" Adelaide asked demandingly.

"Compromised," he grunt through in response, "It was Maggie."

"Get out of there!"

Ed grunted again, "Too late. They want this ship to get to Earth. Got no choice," a button gets pushed, "Hated it, Adelaide! This bloody job. You never gave me a chance," he strained out through the pain, "You never could forgive me," he let out gasp, "See you later."

Another button is pushed and the shuttle explodes into a ball of flames. The ground shook hard. The impact of it had threw the Time Lords forwards onto the ground.

"We're losing oxygen!" Yuri shouted out, "The hull is broken!"

It just all became too much. Ariana began to sob uncontrollably, hugging her knees to her chest as she continued to hear everybody scream. It's tearing her apart not being able to help them, but this needed to happen, it had to...that's what she was telling herself, even if it wouldn't help her in the slightest.

She gasped, looking over her shoulder she sees her mate lying on his back, as they were surrounded by the flaming debris, she felt his thoughts shifting to a dangerous place.

She slowly watched him rising upon to his feet and his gaze turn to the base. His thoughts are racing, everything he had ever said about the Time Lords since the war had ended came back within him. All that nonsense about him being the last, how they were now long gone, how they used to watch every single thing, and just now...Ari's own words come to him about how he had broken many laws...

He looked at the base again, nothing but cold hard determination in his eyes, he glanced down to his mate, gaze softening slightly from the pain she felt, mirroring his own, that's within him. He turned and began running back towards the base.

 _"Kas!"_ she screamed, quickly getting back on her feet and chasing after him, seeing the stupid thing he was about to do, _"Kas!"_ he went on going, _"Kas please stop!"_ he halted in his tracks and turned back, _"Stop this please you can't do this!"_ she continued, desperately, _"Please...you can't do this..."_

He only but smiled at her, approached her and briefly hugged her, _"Get back to the TARDIS,"_ he whispered in her ear, _"I'll make this right."_

 _"Please no!"_ she shouted after he pulled away and started running back to the base, _"Kas!"_

She couldn't will herself to chase after him. She just couldn't. She wouldn't help him do this...it was wrong. It went against the nature, of their entire being. Never thinking she would see the day, that the darkness would return within him...since those days of the war...it had consumed him then and it was consuming him now...and she couldn't do anything to stop it.

 **-Doctor Who-**

The Doctor charged back into the airlock, pulled off his helmet as he ran through the base back towards the main control room where three remaining crew members stood cowering, he quickly grabbed a tube of some sort along his way, "Mia, take this sealant, fix that leak!" he chucked the tube to her, "Yuri, open emergency oxygen. Adelaide..." he pulled the woman to her feet, "Don't just sit there!" he looked around the room at the other two running about, doing as he asked, "That's better! The Dome's still got integrity! It's ten feet of steel-combination, made in Liverpool. Magnificent workmanship!"

"It can't be stopped!" Adelaide argued with him, "Don't die with us! You have Ari to care for!"

He only but grinned, before shouting in triumph, "No, because someone told me just recently. They said I was going to die. They said 'he will knock four times.' And I think I know what that means, and it doesn't mean right here, right now, because I don't hear anyone knocking, do you?" suddenly there's a loud knock upon the door from behind. He nearly stumbled back in fright, just as a second knock came followed by a third. Looking around quickly to see Andy on the other side of the door and just glared at him, "Three knocks is all you're getting!" he went over to the computer, flipped the switch that sent a volt of electricity through the door, electrocuting Andy before he could knock again, "Water and electricity, bad mix. Now then, what else have we got?"

He turned back to see Mia anxious, Yuri excited, and Adelaide shocked.

"But there's no way to fight them!" Adelaide told him.

"Heat!" he shouted, "They use water, so we can use heat. Works against the Ice Warriors, works against the flood. Ramp up the environment controls and steam them."

Adelaide ran over, trying to get him to stop, "But you said we die!" the room violently jolted, nearly sending everyone to the floor, "For the future, for the human race!"

The Time Lord began speaking hurriedly, with authority, as if just by speaking would make it become true, "Yes, someone recently reminded me there are laws. There are Laws of Time. Once upon a time there were people in charge of those laws, but they died. They all died! Do you know who that leaves? Me! It's taken me all these years to realise the Laws of Time are mine, and they will obey me!"

 **-Doctor Who-**

Inside the TARDIS, a lone figure of a Time Lady sat against a Y-beam near the console hugging her knees, every so often flinching at words echoing in her mind, her hands now coming up to cover her ears blocking out the words...but he was getting too loud...she just couldn't take it...

 **-Doctor Who-**

A massive explosion throws the Doctor forwards onto the ground. Alarms blaring, things falling around them, as Adelaide ran to the computer.

"Environment controls are down," she read from the screen, "Sorry, Doctor, it looks like history's got other ideas!"

"I'm not beaten yet!" he leapt up with a cry, "I'll go outside! Find the heat regulator," he goes to pick up his helmet finding it smashed, "Not beaten. Not beaten!" he throws it back on the floor, "You've got spacesuits in the next section," he went out the door but gets stopped by water pouring through the ceiling, so runs back into the central room, "We're not just fighting the Flood, we're fighting time itself. And I'm going to win!"

 _'Ari!'_ he called for his mate, he needed her to bring him the TARDIS here, but he got nothing out of her, _'Ari!'_

Nothing only but silence.

"Something is happening to the glacier," Yuri called across, continuing to type at the computer.

"Think, think, think, think. What have we got?" he gave his head a rub, if Ariana wasn't going to give him a response...he needed another plan and quick, "Not enough oxygen," he muttered opening a container, "Protein packs, useless! Glacier, glacier mints, minty, Monty, molto bene, bunny, bonny, bish bash...argh! The room, the room, look at the room. Section F. What's in Section F?" nobody replied, "Anyone?"

"Nothing. It's just storage!"

"Storing what?"

"I don't know. Er, the weather spikes, the robots, the atom clamps..."

The Time Lord opened up a cupboard, "Atom clamps. Atom clamps? Who needs atom clamps? I love a funny robot!" he tore the door off, revealing Gadget inside.

"Gadget, gadget."

He got his TARDIS key and fixed it on to the robots hand, "You take that. Good boy!"

"Gadget, gadget."

The Doctor put on the auto-gloves and started to activate Gadget even if the room is falling apart around them, "Off we go then!"

Adelaide only but rolled her eyes as Gadget moved, she turned to the computer, preparing Action Five. Gadget now slowly trundling through the water.

"Come on, come on!" the Doctor waved his arms.

"Implementing Captain's protocol," the computer now announced.

He turned to see what she was doing, "Adelaide? What are you doing?"

"Action Five?" Mia gasped looking over at the screen.

"If I have to fight you as well, then I will!"

"Nuclear device now active and primed."

Both Mia and Yuri looked at the screen, terrified, as the countdown from 100 began. The Doctor pulled out his sonic using it on Gadget's computer, sending the robot racing out the base, "Blast off!" fire appeared from Gadget's tracks, but the Doctor is still frustrated, watching on from the monitor, "Faster!"

Gadget whizzed across the ground, leaving behind a trail of fire. There is another explosion, throwing Adelaide on the floor.

 **-Doctor Who-**

Something thumped against the side of the TARDIS. Startling Ariana, making her look up.

 **-Doctor Who-**

"Nuclear device entering final process," the computer announced.

Yuri put the fire out on the ceiling as the Doctor continued to use the gloves to open up the TARDIS.

45 seconds remaining...

"And we're in!" he cheered Adelaide watching him, shook her head at him as he returned her a mad grin.

 **-Doctor Who-**

Ariana looked on in horror as Gadget entered the TARDIS and over to the controls. She had been planning to use his Shifter and pull him back inside the TARDIS, but he will see her now and probably pull it off without a hitch...and if she could of stopped the robot getting the TARDIS back to the base...the Doctor would die...

She only but stepped away.

"Gadget, gadget."

The robot rolled up to the console, pressed the correct button making the TARDIS roar to life.

24 seconds remaining...

The TARDIS gave a rumble as dematerialised and reappeared inside the base.

 **-Doctor Who-**

8 seconds remaining...

The Doctor watched, proudly, as the TARDIS fully appeared, everyone else looking on in shock before shoving them inside, running over to the console.

0 seconds...

The base blows up just as the TARDIS takes off, Adelaide comes to Ariana's side having seen the woman cowering up against the wall.

 **-Doctor Who-**

The TARDIS materialised on nice little street, snow falling lightly out of the sky around it, the Doctor stepped outside, having now ditched his spacesuit, with Adelaide, Mia who almost ran out and Yuri slipping out behind him.

"Isn't anyone going to thank me?" the Time Lord asked just as Gadget rolled out and shut down, "He's lost his signal. Doesn't know where he is."

"That's my house," frowned, seeing her house just a few feet away.

"Don't you get it?" he asked in frustration, "This is the 21st of November 2059. It's the same day on Earth. And it's snowing," he twirled around, "I love snow."

"What is that thing?" Mia gasped as she pointed at the TARDIS, "It's bigger...I mean, it's bigger on the inside! Who the hell are you?" she turned her horrified eyes on the Doctor before running away.

"Look after her," Adelaide told Yuri.

"Yes, ma'am," he returned with a nod, chasing off after her.

A small creak of the TARDIS doors announced Ariana stepping out of the ship, her eyes red rimmed from crying.

"You saved us," Adelaide asked eyeing the Doctor who returned her an expectant look.

"Just think though," he grinned as he strode towards her almost strutting, "Your daughter, and your daughter's daughter, you can see them again," he continued to smile, "Family reunion."

"But I'm supposed to be dead," she glared back at him.

Ariana almost felt physically sick as he shook his head, that smug look upon his face as she watched him...that look just made her skin crawl.

"Not any more," the Doctor replied.

Adelaide had trouble getting her words out, "But Susie, my granddaughter. The person she's supposed to become might never exist now."

"Nah! Captain Adelaide can inspire her face to face. Different details, but the story's the same."

The Time Lady shut her eyes, shivering, as she felt the timelines change and when they snapped rightfully in place...it wasn't going to be good.

"You can't know that!" Adelaide shouted at him, "And if my family changes...the whole of history could change!" the smirk fell of the Doctor's face, "The future of the human race. No-one should have that much power!"

He blinked. Recalling the very same words Ariana had often spoken about their responsibilities of being Time Lords.

"Tough," he responded grimly.

Adelaide stepped away from him, "You should have left us there."

"Adelaide, I've done this sort of thing before," he tried justifying himself to her, "In small ways, saved some little people, but never someone as important as you. Oh, I'm good."

"Little people?" Adelaide spat back with a glare, "What, like Mia and Yuri? Who decides they're so unimportant? You?"

The Doctor returned the glare, starting to get angry, "For a long time now, I thought I was just a survivor, but I'm not. I'm the winner. That's who I am. The Time Lord Victorious."

That was it was Ariana had enough.

Adelaide looked to the woman over his shoulder, "Won't you stop him?"

The Time Lord but only snorted at this. It's not like Ariana couldn't have a go stopping him, it was that she just wouldn't. The only way she could is if she killed him, she would rather do that than destroy the Universe.

Only that she was absolutely fuming. She strode right up to him, with glare in her eyes that could freeze Mars or the Earth over, "Do you have any clue what you've just gone and done. How many laws you have gone and broken?"

He only but smirked, "We're the very last Ari, there's nobody else to enforce them."

"It still doesn't give you any right to break them! They have been put in place for a good reason! Each one is the result of a situation such as this. With a Time Lord that oversteps their bounds, wielding a power that they were never meant to have! They were put in place so consequences such as this wouldn't happen!"

"Those laws are for me to decide," he returned coldly.

Ariana's eyes filled with bitter tears, "I never thought that I'd see the day you'd become just as twisted as my brother!"

He stumbled back as though she had slapped him hard across the face. It was first time ever that she had ever mentioned the Master and her older brother since her return. Because honestly it hurt to be compared to him.

"This is wrong, Doctor. I don't care who you are. The Time Lord Victorious is wrong."

"That's for me to decide," he spoke seriously, "Now, you better get home. Oh, it's all locked up, you've been away. Still that's easy," he flashed his sonic at her front door and unlocked it, "All yours."

"Is there nothing you can't do?"

"Not anymore."

Adelaide stared at him for a few more moments with hard eyes before turning and walking into her house. He smiled slightly, waiting until she closed the door before turning back to the TARDIS. He had barley got the door opened when a gunshot rang through the air.

At that same moment Ariana had collapsed against the TARDIS feeling time changing, feeling history shift around them both. Adelaide would now be found dead in her home, Mia and Yuri would talk of her heroics, her granddaughter would still go on to be the pilot she was always destined to be.

The Doctor went to her side to help her up, but she shoved him off, "Don't you dare touch me right now!"

She quickly got up out of the snow, rushing straight into the TARDIS. Going up to the controls whilst the Doctor walked in taking hesitant steps, she had blocked her thoughts off from him completely. He just watched her running around to the base of the console, open up a panel taking something out and wrapping it around her wrist.

"Ari, what are doing?" he asked, as the sense of dread filled him up.

She only but glared at him, as a chain dangled from her hands...a Perception Filter...giving some thought to of where she could of possibly found one but he just didn't want to look at it either, especially one working at full capacity.

"I'm gonna fix your mess," she spat, whipping the Filter over her head.

The effects taking instantly.

She had obviously tampered with it and designed it for a Time Lord mind, it was operating fully almost dissecting their Bond. It was as if she had cut herself off from him. His mind couldn't, wouldn't, process her. Mind, body and soul. It was just all cut off...everything. But just the faint tingling of the Bond in his hearts told him she was alive.

But it hurt. It hurt really bad.

"Ari!" pleaded with a gasp, dropping to his knees, a hand over his hearts, "Ari, please!"

Ariana didn't give him even a passing glance as she went out the TARDIS doors just leaving him there.

 **-Doctor Who-**

The Time Lord was curled up beside the captains chair, arms wrapped around the back of his head that was buried into his knees trying to breathe through the immense pain, with the weight of the Bond being partly absent. He had no clue how long Ariana had been gone, it didn't matter, because every second of agony felt like an eternity.

The door finally opened but he just couldn't will himself to look...if she still had that anger in her eyes...that hatred...he dosen't know if he can take it.

She stood their, boring her eyes into him as he tried curling himself up more on the floor but couldn't bear to see him like this any longer, knowing the Filter and his own solitude was causing him enough agony. Ari approached the captain's chair and sat herself down, taking off the Filter afterwards, ripped off the dodgy looking Vortex Manipulator she had made a few months back. But it worked just the same.

Soon after having sat down the Doctor went and grabbed her legs, hugging them as he cried, the full weight of his actions crashing over him. The laws that he broke, how he tried rewriting a fixed point in time, how he had treated Ariana as if she were an inferior...what has he done?

Ariana began to softly run her fingers through his hair, "Time is now back in place as it should be," she muttered, staring at the wall before her, "I brought Adelaide's body over to Torchwood, Jack was there still looks the same as when I met him," she rubbed her head a little, "Mia and Yuri, I took them to Torchwood as well. Jack is going to give her a private funeral, and find new identities for Mia and Yuri..."

"I'm sorry Ari," he mumbled, face pressed against her side, "I'm...so, so sorry..."

"Yeah, I know," she replied, tears in her eyes again, "I know how you must've felt, I wanted to go with you and change things too...but our laws were written for a good reason, by people smarter than us. And we have to respect them."

"I understand," he nodded, "I'll never ever do it again, I swear."

"Good," she slowly answered, slipping off the chair and crouching in front of him. She lifted his face with her hands one of them stroking his cheek, _"I love you Kas."_

He shuts his eyes, crying with relief from her words...he was so scared that she would leave him.

 _"I will love you forever and always, no matter what comes our way,"_ she pledges to him.

 _"I love you too,"_ he returned with a whisper, voice raw with emotion.

He now opened his eyes... and stared at her in absolute horror.

She frowned from the expression on his face before looking down at her jeans and some of her purple top stained red with blood. She let out a sigh, "As far as anyone is concerned Adelaide was never on Earth...for all they know, she died in the explosion on Mars."

She had done that for him, he realised. She was covered in another persons blood for him...it really did make him a monster, putting his Bonded all through that.

He now broke down, becoming a sobbing mess, Ariana pulling him into a tight hug.

"I went too far," he cried into her shoulder.

"Yes you did go too far," she can never lie to him, "But you pulled yourself back..."

"More like you pulled me back."

Ariana opened her mouth, about to offer him words of comfort, when suddenly the sound of an Ood song reached her, "Can you hear that?"

He goes stiff in her arms.

"I think we should go now," she said, moving to get up and going over to the console, "We'll go and..."

"No..." he returned, standing up, wiping away his tears, she went face her mate, "I've gone too far...maybe this is my punishment."

He looked down at his feet, ashamed, but Ariana took his hand, "I'm not letting you do this alone."

He raised his head to look down at her with a smile before taking a deep breath and walking towards the door with her. They go outside to see Ood Sigma standing in the middle of the street underneath a lamppost a few feet away.

"Is this it?" the Doctor asked tearfully, "My death?"

Ariana tightly squeezed his hand as Ood Sigma merely tilted his head in response.

"Is it time?" he asked again.

Then just like that Ood Sigma just vanished.

Ariana let out a sigh of relief before she turned and tugged her boyfriend towards her, embracing him tightly as he returned it, feeling as if he's just dodged a bullet...

Suddenly the cloister bell began ringing inside the TARDIS.

"No! No! No!" Ariana shouted madly, charging back inside the TARDIS the Doctor following after her.

The quickly glanced at each other, before getting back to work on the console and blasting off.


	8. The End of Time: Part One

**Text Key**

 _'Telepathic communication'_

 _"Gallifreyian"_

 **-Doctor Who-** chapter break

The TARDIS materialised on the snowy landscape of the Ood Sphere. As a light dusting of snow fell where Ood Sigma stood waiting a short distance away, watching as the Doctor stepped out wearing his typical brown pinstriped suit and coat, had a pink lei around his neck, sunglasses and a straw cowboy hat on his head. While keeping the door open for Ariana who stepped out, wearing her usual attire of ripped jeans, a top, leather jacket and black boots. She was lacking the party favours her mate had on, rolling her eyes at him but smiling at him none the less, wanting to do something at least to make him happy.

Ever since seeing Ood Sigma outside Adelaide's home, she took him on countless trips to planets and different times with the effort to cheer him up, show him he was still the magnificent and good man she had fell in love with on Gallifrey. It seemed to have done the trick, having finally accepted his mistake for what he had done on Mars, one he promised to never to never make again.

"Ah!" he spots Ood Sigma, "Now, sorry. There you are!" the Doctor walked over with a grin, grabbing Ari's hand as the now approached, "So, where were we? I was summoned, wasn't I? An Ood in the snow, calling to me?" he had been hearing it echoing in his mind nonstop since last seeing Sigma, so much that it echoed into Ariana's mind as well, "Well, we didn't just exactly come straight here. Had a bit of fun, you know..."

"Sorry I apologise for that," the Time Lady grinned sheepishly, "It was my bad really."

The Doctor gave his mates hand a thankful squeeze, grateful that she had done that. He just needed to escape, have a few more thrills, the adventures she had chosen had helped him heal, "We travelled about, did this and that. Got into trouble. You know me," he grinned again, "But it was brilliant," he looked back to Sigma, "We saw the Phosphorous Carousel of the Great Magellan Gestadt, saved a planet from the Red Carnivorous Maw, named a galaxy Alison..." he now laughed brightly, Got Jack drunk in Queen Elizabeth's court..."

"Oh, boy what a mistake that was," Ariana replied with grimace. Jack was in such a horrible slump when they met him...he had lost Ianto whilst saving the Earth from alien threat, Jack had obviously taken it pretty hard. Ari felt heartbroken for Jack, when he had called, Ariana for some reason insisted they went immediately to Torchwood and she hugged Jack letting the man cry into her shoulder as he mourned. It was the motherly instinct inside her that wanted to console him. Both the Time Lords offered him a trip, knowing that sometimes you needed to get out there, see the wonderful things of the Universe to keep your spirits up, and Jack thought it would be wise to have a drinking game that would do wonders...even if she threatened him not to...

"Good Queen Bess," the Doctor laughed, "And let me just tell you her nickname is no lon..." before he could finish Ariana sharply nudged him, "Anyway...what do you want?"

"You should not have delayed," Sigma stated in reply.

"The last time we was here you said my song would be ending soon," the Time Lord recalled, "And I'm in no hurry for that."

"You will come with me."

"Hold on. Better lock the TARDIS," he rummaged in his pocket for the key and took it out, pointed it at the TARDIS and presses it. The light on top flashed twice and gave a small beep exactly like a car lock chirped, "You see? Like a car. I...I locked it like a car."

Ariana rolled her eyes and turned to the Ood, "He thinks it funny that he pimped her up."

"It is funny," he countered, both looking back at him, unimpressed, "No? Just a little bit?"

Ariana gave his arm a pat, "Oh, it hysterical," she offered sarcastically, and then looped her arm through his and tugged him with her after Sigma who had turned and walked off.

"So how old are you now, Ood Sigma?" the Doctor asked only after a moment, trying to make conversation as they walked. But he gave no response. However, he didn't seem not that put off by his and Ari's attention drawn to the massive sculpture of towers in rock, it somehow reminded them of the towers on Gallifrey, but instead black and white. With figures of Ood walking around it.

"Wow, that's magnificent!" Ariana breathed, her eyes going wide.

The Doctor lightly elbowed Sigma, trying to get a response, "Oh, come on, that is splendid. You've achieved all this in how long?"

"One hundred years," he replied honestly.

Both the Time Lords stiffened, now concerned, the Doctor turned to him, "Then we've got a problem. Because all of this is way too fast. Not just the city, I mean your ability to call me. Reaching all the way back to the 21st century."

"Your species has accelerated way beyond normal," Ariana added.

"And the Mind of the Ood is troubled," Sigma replied with a nod.

"Why, what's happened?"

"Every night," Sigma turned to the pair, "Every night we have bad dreams."

The Doctor started to frown as Sigma turned away and led them into a structure, walking past Ood wearing different varieties of robes until they came older Ood that had large brains sitting before pots and tubs, formed in a circle in a darkened underground room.

"Returning, returning, returning," the elder Ood spoke in their minds, waving fumes of smoke and incense upwards, "It is slowly returning through the dark and the fire and the blood. Always returning, returning to this world. It is returning, and he is returning, and they are returning, but too late. Too late. Far too late. He has come."

"Sit with the Elder of the Ood and share the dreaming," Sigma motioned for them to join in. The Doctor took off his lei, hat and sunglasses setting them aside as both he and Ariana stepped forwards and across to the circle. They looked around at the Ood before they sat down beside each other in the empty space. The Doctor was feeling uncomfortable while Ariana was feeling a little anxious.

"So," the Doctor began, trying to cover his discomfort, "Right. Hello."

"You will join," all the Ood chanted, "You will join. You will join. You will join. You will join. You will join. You will join."

The Ood put their hind brains into their laps and linking hands, the Time Lord watched cautiously before glancing at his mate, who returned a shrug, before they too joined hands and take the ones offered to them. As soon as they had connected, Ariana gasped, seeing a flash of the Master and her brother laughing madly, who wore a face she hadn't seen before.

She pulled her hands away, breathing heavily, pressing her hand on her forehead as if trying to force the very image from her mind.

"He comes to us," the Elder Ood stated, "Every night. I think all the peoples of the Universe dream of him now."

"That man is dead," the Doctor seriously informed, his arm wrapping around as he comforts her from the pain of seeing her brother after such a long time.

"There is yet more. Join us."

The Ood went back to linking hands, holding them out once again to the Doctor and Ariana. Ariana shakes her head, tears filling her eyes, "I can't," she whispered, looking at her mate in desperation, "I can't see it...not again..."

The Doctor reached out, cupped her face in his hands gazing deeply into her eyes, trying make her calm, he could feel the fear coming off her in waves and into him, "I'll be right here," he promises to her, stroking her cheek, "I swear, that I'll be right here with you..."

She searched through his eyes and took a deep shuddering breath, taking the Ood's hand along with him.

"Events are taking shape," the Elder began to speak, "So many years ago, and yet changing the now. There is a man..."

They see the Master laughing again.

"So scared..."

That's when they see Wilf, sitting at a table, hands pressed to his mouth as he stared at nothing, looking worried and scared.

"Wilfred!" the Time Lady gasped, "Is he all right?"

"What about Donna?" the Doctor now asked, "Is she safe?"

"You should not have delayed," the Elder repeated, "For the lines of convergence are being drawn across the Earth. Even now, the king is in his Counting house..."

There's a scene of a black man and young woman, who must be his daughter, both looking rather satisfied.

"We don't even know those people," Ari only but frowned at the image.

"And there is another," the Elder went on, "The most lonely of all, lost and forgotten..."

A blonde woman, sitting inside a cell, lit with blue light, wearing what looked like pyjamas, hair pulled away from her face, breathing heavily.

"The Master's wife!" the Doctor exclaimed as they pulled out from the visions.

 _"My brother is alive and had a wife what else haven't you told me about?!"_ Ariana stared at him in disbelief.

 _"Ari..."_ he tried to argue.

 _"I don't want to hear it!"_ she gazed angrily at him.

"We see so much, but understand little," Sigma interrupted with a sigh, "The woman in the cage, who is she?"

Ariana let out a scoff and rolled her eyes, "Probably is her own fault really," she began, "The first not knowing she was my sister-in-law. Second marrying my nutcase brother...the Master...who is a Time Lord, just like us..."

The Doctor looked around, seeing that the Ood hadn't understood, and returned his gaze to his girlfriend. She frowned, not sure what he was about to do, so he turned back to them, "I can show you."

They all closed their eyes not only pulling the Ood into his memories but Ariana too.

The Master could be seen sliding arrogantly around the room. That very image just rubbed Ari the wrong way, knowing how he's always be that way having different faces, but with the same arrogant stuck up personality he just never seemed to alter.

"The Master took the name of Saxon," the Doctor informed, sensing his mate getting uneasy, "He married a human, a woman called Lucy. And he corrupted her."

They watched the Toclafane being released by the Master, ordering to them to the American President, watching as Lucy celebrated many deaths with, as the Toclafane swarmed upon the Earth. This honestly made Ari's blood boil seeing what a monster her brother has become.

"I held him in my arms," Doctor swallowed harshly as the vision played out. It pained Ariana to see her brother dying but at the same time felt no pity for what he had done back then, "I burnt his body!" he continued, as he felt his mate squeeze his hand as he showed scenes of funeral pyre, "The Master is dead!"

"And yet, you did not see," the Elder informed.

They watched him walking away from the pyre.

"What's that?" Ariana gasped, as the scene continued to unfold.

A hand picks up a ring that had fallen into the flames, a signet ring. An older woman stood there, looking down at it in the palm of her hand, cradling it close.

Ariana's anger burst into ferocious flames within her...how dare she take it! It was a rite of Gallifrey, the heirlooms of family passed onto family, the ring she had lost long ago that was rightfully hers! How dare that woman take it!

"Part of him survived!" the Time Lord spoke, horrified, snapping out of the vision. He tried getting up, panicked, only the hands kept him down, "We have to go!"

"But something more is happening, Doctor," the Elder warned, as the Doctor struggled to both he and Ariana out, "The Master is part of a greater design," he look to his mate who looked to be getting more frightened by the second as the Ood went on. It was her brother, yes, he was coming back, yes, but it wasn't good by any stretch of imagination, "Because a shadow is falling over creation. Something vast is stirring in the dark."

Ariana tightened her grip on his hand as the Ood looked up at them, their eyes red. She felt her mates fear creeping into him as well.

"The Ood have gained this power to see through time," the Elder told, "Because time is bleeding. Shapes of things once lost are moving through the veil. And these events from years ago threaten to destroy this future, and the present, and the past."

"What do you mean?" the Time Lord demanded angrily.

He had to get out of here, he had to get Ariana out of here. This was just becoming too much for her to handle.

"This is what we have seen, Doctor. The darkness heralds only one thing. The end of time itself."

The Master appeared to them again in their minds, just as the Doctor managed to rip his hands away from the Ood and get Ariana. He pulled her up, as they began running from the circle and back towards the TARDIS.

"Events that have happened are happening now," the Elder's voice echoed in their heads as they ran out of the building.

They charged across the snow, the Doctor remotely unlocking the TARDIS as Ariana leapt inside, the Doctor slammed the door shut behind them. Ran straight to the console, rushing about as it sparks, seeming to have sensed the danger. He whipped his jacket off, throwing it over the chair where Ari's jacket already was as they continued running around and put in the coordinates.

Ariana ran to the monitor, gasping her hand going to her head as she heard a ghostly whisper inside her mind that of her brother...

 _"Never dying, never dying..."_

"Ari?" the Doctor ran to his mates side, hearing those words through her mind just as the console let out an explosion.

"Honsetly I'm fine!" she shouted to him, as the words began to fade just as she pulled down the lever the TARDIS gave a jolt, having materialised on Earth.

They run out, only to find themselves standing in the ruins of Broadfell Prison, the one Lucy had been kept in, the police tape around it was unnerving to say the least. Looking down the Doctor sees a sign lying on the ground covered in rubble and bricks.

"We're too late," Ariana remarked, looking around at the ruins before turning back to her mate, with nothing but fear in her eyes. He went over to her and pulled her into his arms as she shook.

He could feel how fearful she was, sensing it through her thoughts. She used to admire her brother, he knew that she had, but he also knew she was scared of him. The Master has just probably succeeded in making his own sister afraid of him. Afraid what he could possibly do or would do, what he's willing to do...but more so...he could feel she was terrified of what the Master would do to the Earth and him, her Bond.

"It'll be alright," he whispered into her the top of her head and kissing it, "I promise you, that everything be alright."

She responded nodding into his chest before moving away. Wiping the tears away that had started to fall. She looked up at him, "We better start looking for him," she roughly swallowed.

He nodded in agreement, taking her hand in his and leading her back to the TARDIS.

 **-Doctor Who-**

Ariana had been working on the monitor non-stop, trying to pinpoint her brother. Out of the two of them, she had a better chance of locating his position. She came close about twice to the exact location but he would disappear quicker than possible...

"I've got him!" Ari hollered.

The Doctor came over to see the tiny blinking light near some construction site ...it seemed the Master had stopped there for something. Because this could be the only chance they possibly have.

He took his girlfriend's hand and ran out of the TARDIS, still parked in the ruins of Broadfell, in that direction the TARDIS had locked on in. It was close enough and they didn't want to risk the Master finding the TARDIS sitting in the construction site.

They both opened their eyes as echoes reached them, someone was banging on something, four times. Looking over to the direction of the sound only for an instant before running towards it again. The banging became faster and faster before stopping completely.

Running past a red oil drum that had a dent its side, clearly having been struck hard, only for them to stop short. He was wearing a black hoodie and jeans paired with a red shirt underneath, his hair almost a bleach blonde.

He faced both of them, staring them down only for a moment before he bellowed at them, an almost animalistic roar. He leapt up high into the air, higher than humanly possible or Time Lordly possible, and disappeared on the other side of the gravel. They go running after him, nearly falling down the gravel until seeing him once more, stopping a short distance away, standing on a pile of iron beams while they stood on concrete below.

He starts to laugh, as his face flickered to a skeleton and back.

Ariana couldn't help but gasp, flinching at the sight of her brother, eyes wide with horror. What has he done to himself?

"Please, let us help!" the Doctor called, sensing his mates concern.

The Master only returned them a mocking look.

"You're burning up your own life force brother!" Ari shouted trying to reason with him.

He sneered at them before jumping of the iron pile and vanishing.

They go chasing after him, around the the pile of rusty bars, only for them to run straight into Wilf and a group of elderly men and women with him.

"Oh, my gosh, Doctor, Ariana, you're a sight for sore eyes!" Wilf cheered, grabbing the Time Lords arm.

The Doctor lightly shoved him off, "Get out of our way!" Both the Time Lords jumped over onto a nearby pile of metal, still trying to look for the Master.

"Did we do it?"another elderly man asked as a group of elderly people showed up, "Is that them?"

"Tall and thin, big brown coat," another of men eyed the Doctor and then Ariana, "Leather jacket, ripped jeans and black hair. I'd say so."

The Doctor and Ari peered over their shoulders at the group of elderly people staring back at them before leaping down from the pile and staring back at them.

"The Silver Cloak!" a woman cried, "It worked! Because Wilf phoned Netty, who phoned June, and her sister lives opposite Broadfell, and she saw the police box, and her neighbour saw these two heading east!"

Both the Time Lords just stared back at the group of elderly people in in utter confusion, "Wilfred?" the Doctor asked turning to him.

"Yeah?" he returned with a smile.

"Have you told them who we are? You promised us!"

"No," Wilf shook his head, "I just said you were both doctors, that's all. And might I say, sir, it is an honour to see you again."

He gave both of them a salute, Ariana smirking to herself from the annoyed look on her mates face. She quickly elbowed him and he reluctantly returned a half hearted salute.

"Oh, but you never said he was a looker!" the same woman from earlier said, admiring the Doctor with her eyes, "He's gorgeous!" she turned to hand her camera over to one of the men, "Take a photo."

The man looked the Time Lord up and down, "Not bad, eh?"

The Doctor looked rather taken aback and very frighted, something Ariana couldn't help but laugh at.

"Look at her!" another of the men exclaimed, eyeing the Time Lady, who herself was now looking startled.

"She's gorgeous!" another of the men agreed, "What a looker she is."

The Doctor was rather baffled, he kept looking between the woman attached onto his arm to the group to the men and Ariana and back.

"I'm Minnie," the woman on his arm introduced, "Minnie the Menace. It's a long time since I had a photo with a handsome man," her arm goes around his waist, the other women joining her as the men gathered around Ariana.

To say the the least the Time Lord gave his mate a pleading look of help, as he see an older gentleman on either side of her giving compliments, even though she felt a tad uncomfortable. He could tell she was, despite convincing her on many occasions, she never saw herself as anything truly stunning to look at. But to him she was absolutely beautiful, inside and out.

"Just get off them!" Wilf cried as he glared at his friends who were swarmed around the pair, "Leave them alone, will you?"

"Hush, you old misery!" Minnie hissed back at him before smiling up at the Doctor, "Come on, Doctor!" she reached up and pinched his cheeks, "Give us a smile!"

The Doctor looked to Ariana, both putting on pained smiles as the group faced the camera where Wilf was currently standing.

The camera gave a click, "Hold on..." the man pushed the button once again, "Did it flash?"

"No, there's a blue light. Try again."

"I'm all fingers and thumbs."

"We're really kind of busy, you know," the Doctor squirmed, trying to be polite as possible and get them away from here. Ariana now went rigid, uncertain what to do.

"Oh, it wont take a tick," Minnie assured him, "Keep smiling," suddenly her hand slid down towards his bottom and gave it a squeeze.

Ariana's now got brought to attention by her boyfriend's startled look just as he jerked away from the woman, "Is that your hand, Minnie?"

"Good boy," Minnie replied with a smirk, giving his bottom a small pat.

"Okay, that it's fun time is over," having enough Ari stepped forward, forced herself away from the men surrounding her and yanked the Doctor by his tie, pulling him away from the women as well, "So hands off my man," she gestured a finger a Minnie with her free hand, the old woman now looking slightly offended.

 _'Jealous much?'_ her mate muttered to her.

 _'Maybe, it's something I should start doing more,'_ she replied, 'To remind others that your mine.'

 _'I've been yours from the very moment we met,'_ he raised an eyebrow at her.

 _'You've never been able to think as fast enough as me Kas that's why,'_ she returned with a subtle smile.

"Well, thank you for everything," Ari now turned to give the group a tense smile, "As lovely as this has been to meet you guys, we really have to go...like now," she gave Wilf a brief glare before she pulling the Doctor away, leaving Wilf to get the group under control.

 **-Doctor Who-**

How Wilf had ever managed to convince them to come on the bus with a bunch of crazed pensioners, they would never understand, only to pray and hope the ride would shortly be over. Wilf never took them back to Broadfell, only to instead take them to a small cafe in town.

"Come on, then. Here we are, hurry up!" Wilf ordered, ushering them off the bus soon as it had stopped and giving the others a wave, "Bye. You behave, bye!"

Everybody waved back from the bus waved back to them, Minnie cheekily blowing a kiss to the Doctor who honestly didn't notice it as looked around, in utter confusion.

"Over here, come on," Wilf now lead them across the street to a café.

"What's so special about this place?" the Time Lord asked, eyeing it suspiciously as they entered, "We passed fifteen cafés on the way."

Wilf responded with a laugh, "Yeah," he nods to some people in greeting as they walked out, "Afternoon!"

He led them all over to a table near the front, one right by the window, the Doctor letting Ariana sit first before sitting next to her. Folded his arms across his chest, leaning himself back in the chair whilst Ari sat there, a hand resting on his knee while Wilf leaned forward.

There was silence for only a moment before Wilf began to speak again, "Oh, we had some good times, didn't we though? I mean, all those ATMOS things, and planets in the sky, and me with that paint gun," he mimicked with his hands along with a popping noise, chuckling afterwards but the Doctor looked nothing but anxious while Ariana looked concerned, they really needed to find the Master before he did anymore harm to others. Wilf let out a sigh, hesitating for a moment, "I keep...seeing things. This...face at night."

"Who are you?" the Doctor abruptly asked him.

"I'm Wilfred Mott."

The Time Lady lightly shook her head, with a reassuring smile, "What he meant is that people wait hundreds of years to see him again yet only that you managed to do it in a few hours."

"Well, I'm just lucky I s'pose."

"No, we keep on meeting, Wilf," the Time Lord sighed in thought, staring back at him, "Over and over again like something's still connecting us."

"What's so important about me?"

"Exactly," the Doctor answered, "Why you? Ow!" he jumped forward slightly, rubbing the spot on the back of his head where Ariana had just slapped him.

"Would it kill you not to be rude for once," was the explanation she offered him as he returned a questioning look, before turning to the other man, "You are important Wilf you're Donna's grandfather."

Wilf returned a smile at her for that.

He gives his head another rub before glancing out the window at all the people going about their day, every single one of them full of life. He moved his hand onto Ariana's lap, lacing their fingers together as he turned to Wilf, "I'm going to die."

"Well, so am I, one day," Wilf replied.

"Don't you dare!" Ari returned angrily, pointing at them threateningly with her finger, "Either of you!"

"All right," he chuckled, "I'll try not to."

The Doctor smiled fondly at his mate and kissed her on the forehead. He swallowed harshly, blinking the tears away in his eyes as he turned to tell the older man the devastating truth, "But I was told...'He will knock four times.' "That was the prophecy. Knock four times, and then..."

Ariana tightly squeezed his hand.

"Yeah, but...I thought..." Wilf began to hesitate, "When I saw you before, you said your people could change, like, your whole body."

"There's always a possibility for us to die," Ariana sighed, exhausted, "You can kill us in the middle of a regeneration cycle. Before it even gets a chance to finish, then just like that...we die."

"Even then, even if we change, it feels like dying," the Time Lord continued on, "Everything I am dies. Some new man goes sauntering away..." his lip begins to tremble as he imagined his Ari leaving with another man, even though it was him. It was just so unfair. He's not long Bonded with her, still hasn't had enough time with her, "And I'm dead."

Ariana felt her eyes filling with tears as she sensed his thoughts. She will always love him, every incarnation of him...past, present and future. But she would love this one most of all from the others, as she had with his other forms. Yes of course he'll be different, be he would always be hers and she would always be his. Like if she changed, he would still love her as well...but by all means she didn't want this version of him to die.

They looked back across the table to Wilf, who was distracted and strangely silent, seeing him looking out the window.

"What?" the Doctor followed his gaze, to see Donna outside across the street getting keys out of her coat.

"I'm sorry, but I had to. Look, can't you make her better?"

"Stop it."

"No, but you're so clever. Can't you bring her memory back? Look, just go to her now. Go on, just run across the street. Go up and say hello."

"Wilf if she ever remembers Alice or us, her mind will burn, and she will die," Ariana put to him sternly, unwilling to risk her old friend suffering that fate.

A door is heard closing as they now looked out to see Donna confronting a parking warden, "Don't you touch this car!"

Both the Time Lords began laughing, "She's not changed," the Doctor remarked.

"Nah," Wilf agreed with him, "Oh, there he is..." a young black man joined Donna, holding her shopping bags, "Shaun Temple. They're engaged. Getting married in the spring."

"Another wedding."

"Yeah."

"Hold on, she's not going to be called Noble-Temple? That sounds like a tourist spot."

"No, it's Temple-Noble."

"Right."

"Is she happy?" Ariana asked quietly, continuing to watch them interacting, "Is he nice?"

The Doctor smiled at her with concern for Donna.

"Yeah, he's sweet enough," Wilf replied with a smile, "He's a bit of a dreamer. Mind you, he's on minimum wage, she's earning tuppence, so all they can afford is a tiny little flat. And then sometimes I see this look on her face, like she's so sad, but she can't remember why."

"She's got him," the Time Lord remarked.

"And he's got her," Ariana added quietly, giving her mates had a squeeze as he returned a soft smile.

"She's making do," Wilf sighed.

"Aren't we all?" the Doctor laughed emptily.

"Yeah, how about you? Who've you two got now?"

"No one. Travelling only us," he swallowed hard, "We thought it would better..." his voice cracks, "But I did some stupid things that went wrong..." he wiped his eyes just as Ariana put a hand on his arm.

"But I fixed it," she reminded him, "I had to stop you, you know. I am very persuasive with other people so I've been told," he laughed a little at that, "I did it all for you. So stop blaming yourself."

"Oh, my word," Wilf let out a soft gasp, seeing the man nod, trying not to break down, "I'm sorry."

"Merry Christmas," the Time Lord lightly scoffed.

"Yeah, and you!"

"Look at us."

"But don't you...don't you see? You know, you need her, Doctor. I mean, look. Wouldn't she make you laugh again? Good old Donna? Eh?"

They could only but watch her drive away, knowing that she would...but at the same time couldn't.

 **-Doctor Who-**

Managing to have located the Master earlier, the TARDIS is now locked onto his location. They closely watched the monitor as he moves, waiting for the right moment for when he stops so they could pilot the TARDIS to his exact location.

It's now nightfall as they walked through the darkened alleyway to see the Master crouching over on the floor, nibbling away at a bone. As if having sensed their arrival, he instantly looked up to them. They moved slowly forwards, eyeing him closely as stared at his hands, now beginning to spark and glow. He reached out his hand, shooting a bolt of lightning at them, but missed hitting the building behind them instead. They didn't even flinch as they kept going towards him.

Neither of them deterred, he fires another bolt to the left of them, only for it to hit a barrel, they continued on.

He rubbed his hands together, as he generated a much greater force before shooting it straight into the Doctor's chest...only for Ari step in front him. She lets out a small cry of pain, staggering. He pulled back, with horror knowing he never meant to harm his long lost sister...but shocked that Doctor, also seemed to be affected from the bolt. He dropped to his knees, holding her as she falls to the ground.

He charged forward, taking Ari's face in between his hands just for a moment with the Doctor who pulled her away...and saw the adversary in his eyes...that's when he makes the discovery, that his dearest friend had finally Bonded with his sister. He's lost his bet. On wanting to harm the man in the worst way possible, but before that would of meant to simply destroy Earth...which also meant killing his Ariana...that was something he could never, ever do.

The Master sunk back into a squat, watching on filled with guilt for hurting his sister as she panted for air and the pain from the bolt, the Doctor holding her tightly to his chest, offering the comfort that he couldn't give her. He never could.

"We had estates," he quietly spoke, glancing at Ari in pain, "Do you remember my father's land back home? Pastures of red grass, stretching far across the slopes of Mount Perdition..." he now looked over to the Doctor, "We used to run across those fields all day, calling up at the sky," he falls back onto the mound of debris sitting on it, watching both of them, "Look at us now!"

"All that eloquence," the Time Lord shook his head, "But how many people have you killed?"

"I am so hungry."

"Your resurrection has gone wrong," Ariana offered with a gasp, still finding it hard to breath, "That energy...ripped open your body. Now it's killing you."

"That human Christmas out there!" he just blanked her, gesturing wildly with his hands, "They eat so much! All that roasting meat, cakes and red wine. Hot, fat, blood, food. Pots and plates of meat, and flesh, and grease, and juice, and baking, burnt, sticky hot skin. Hot. It's so hot..."

 _'Oh, dear Rassilon I think I'm gonna hurl,'_ Ariana shivered, feeling some bile rise up in her throat.

"Stop it!" the Doctor warned with a glare.

"Sliced...sliced...sliced..." the Master muttered under his breath.

"Stop it!"

"It's mine. It's mine. It's mine to eat and eat and eat."

"Stop it!"

There was finally silence.

"Please we need your help," Ariana pleaded weakly, now having healed herself enough to now breath properly.

But the he only just laughed at her, the very thought that she still needed him now even if she had the Doctor. Nobody ever needed him once the Doctor showed up.

"There's more at work tonight than you, me or Ari," the Doctor told him seriously.

"Oh yeah?" the Master asked mockingly.

"We've been told," the Time Lady slightly winced as she managed to sit herself up, "That something is returning."

"And here I am!"

She shook her head, "No, something much more."

"But it hurts!"

"We were told," the Doctor starts, "The end of time."

"It hurts!" the Master whimpered, "Doctor, the noise. The noise in my head!" he tried crawling over to them, looking to his sister but she just couldn't hear it. Meaning that his resurrection had gone wrong more ways than they thought possible even if she could hear it. In fact, she hadn't heard him ever since he came back, "One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four. Stronger than ever before," he saw them looking back at him, confused, "Can't you hear it?"

"I'm sorry," the Doctor apologised with a shake of his head.

"Can you hear it?" he now turned to his sister, who sadly shook her head, "Please!" he pleaded, crawling up to her, "Listen, listen, listen, listen. Every minute. Every second. Every beat of my hearts. There it is, calling to me. Please listen!"

"I know that it hurts," she tries to soothe him, hating it to see him in this much pain despite of what he has done, she knew how painful the beating must have been, whether a heartbeat or a drumbeat, it just hurts and they didn't know what it was or why he can still hear it, "It understand that it hurts...it will always hurt..."

The Time Lord looked between them, feeling rather helpless. He knew Ari must of heard the beating, he had seen it her dreams and her memories, but now neither of them can hear the drumming, "I can't hear it."

"Listen!" the Master growled, turning to the Doctor, taking his face and pressing their foreheads against each other, as he closed his eyes in concentration.

The Doctor quickly backed away, startled. He had heard it. The beating.

Ariana winced, hearing it coming through his mind into hers.

"What?" the Master asked them.

"But that's..." he gasped, trying to catch his breath.

"What?!"

"We heard it," Ari quietly answered as her mate tugged her back, staring at the Master in fear.

"But there's no noise," the Doctor called as the Master jumped onto his feet, mind racing at lightning speed as to the reason for the noise inside his head, he thought his sister just imagining things, putting a sound to her brother she claimed to him, but there it was, a true beating sound, "There never has been. It's just your insanity. What is it? What's inside your head?"

The Master began to laugh hysterically, "It's real!" he claimed with a shout, starting to scream loudly, "It's real. It's real!"

Bolts of electricity came out of of his hands and propelled him up into the sky.

The Doctor turned out from Ariana and kneeled down to face her, "You stay right here," he told her, "I'll go and look for him."

But she grabbed his arm before he could even leave, "Not without me your not," she replied with a grunt, using him as balance to get up. He takes her hand, helping her along as they went, still in slight pain. They looked up to the sky, trying to find the Master but he ins nowhere to be seen, but then they hear his laughter coming from a distance. They chased after it, coming to an abrupt halt to see him standing on a pile of dirt.

"All these years, you thought I was mad!" his arms went up in victory as he glared at the Time Lord, "King of the wasteland. But something is calling me, Doctor. What is it? What is it? What is it?"

Before an answer was given, a bright light suddenly shone down illuminating the Master from above. Looking up they see a spotlight on him as another snapped on the Doctor and Ari toppled back, trying to see past the blinding light. Ropes fall down either side of the Master, men in black uniform grabbed him, they inject a tranquilliser into the side of his neck, making him instantly become unconsious.

"Stop!" Ari shouted, reaching out to him. She ran forwards only to trip over, her mate pulling her back, both of them now running as the two soldiers began taking fire at them from a helicopter, holding them back so their teammates could hoist up the Master.

"Let him go!" the Doctor shouted as they ran up the hill, trying to get him. A solider ran up, slamming the butt of his gun into the back of the Time Lords head, knocking him unconscious, making his mate fall be she is knocked out as well, leaving both of them on the ground.

 **-Doctor Who-**

When coming to they realised it was now morning, they rushed back to the TARDIS and tried to track the Master, only to discover he was on the Naismith estate. Having no clue who that was, they went to one person who could actually help them.

The TARDIS landed, both Time Lords stepping out onto the street looking at the Nobles house before them. They quickly ran over to the house, stopping short with fear of Donna's safety. Ariana picked up a small pebble from the ground and threw it at one of the windows upstairs that had a light on. Seeing Donna and Sylvia were downstairs, it only left Wilf upstairs. He comes to the window and looked out to see them. Moments later he went out to greet them.

"We lost him," the Doctor informed him, "We were unconscious. He's still on Earth. We can sense him, but he's too far away."

"Listen, you can't park there!" Wilf exclaimed pointing at the blue box sat in the middle of the street, "What if Donna sees it?"

"You're the only one that can help Wilf," Ariana cuts in, "The only connection we could think of. You're involved in some way, we just need to figure out how..." she shakes her head, "Tell me, have you seen anything? I don't know. Anything strange, or odd?"

Wilf hesitated a second, debating on whether to tell them about the woman in white he has kept seeing, "Well, there was a..."

"What?" the Time Lady frowned at him.

"What is it?" the Doctor shouted, "Tell us!"

 _'Will you calm down,'_ Ari called, placing a hand on his arm, _'You're making the man anxious.'_

"Well, it was...no, it's nothing."

"Think, think, think," the Doctor said with a more calming tone, but still a little desperate, "Maybe something out of the blue. Something connected to your life. Something!"

"Well, Donna was a bit strange. She had a funny little moment, this morning, all because of that book."

"What book?" Ariana asked with a frown.

 **-Doctor Who-**

Wilf held up his hand just for a moment before running back into the house, he paused at the door motioning for them to go around the back. They headed to the backdoor, standing out of sight as Wilf stepped out to meet them again, a book in his hand 'Fighting the Future.'

"His name's Joshua Naismith," he handed the book over to the Time Lords.

"It's him!" Ariana gasped, staring at the cover, "The man we saw in the Ood vision."

"By the what?"

"By the Ood," Ariana repeats to him.

"What's the Ood?"

"They're just the Ood," the Doctor replied with a wave of his hand.

"It's all part of the convergence," the Time Lady murmured, "Maybe? It may be touching Donna's subconscious..."

The Doctor fondly smiled, "Oh, she's still fighting for us, even now. The Doctor-Donna."

"Dad, what are you up to?" Sylvia now steps out of the house, spotting her father, before glaring at the sight of the two Time Lords standing there, "You! But...get out of here!"

"Merry Christmas," they greeted together with a smile.

"Merry Christmas. But she can't see you. What if she remembers?"

"Mum, where are those tweezers?" Donna called from inside the house.

"Go!"

"Okay, okay, we're going," Ariana rolled her eyes, ushering her mate back around the side of the house and back out onto the street.

"Yeah, me too," Wilf followed after them.

"Oh no, you don't!" Sylvia barked at her father as she followed after him, around the side of the house where they are heading towards the TARDIS, "Dad, I'm warning you..."

"Bye, see you later!"

"Stay right where you are!"

"You can't come with us," the Doctor said back as they ran over to the TARDIS.

"You're not leaving me with her," he argued back with a mumble.

"Dad!" Sylvia shouted for him again.

The Doctor glanced back and shrugged, "Fair enough."

He opened the door and they all entered the TARDIS, still hearing Sylvia shouting in disapproval. The Doctor going over to flip the switch sending them into the vortex.

"Naismith," Ariana pondered, as she walked forward with the book in her hand, "Naismith Manor, that's where the Master is gonna..." she now glanced over to see Wilf looking about, rather bewildered, "Hey, are you okay?"

The Doctor looked up, just as he nodded his head, "Ah. Right. Yes. Bigger on the inside. Do you like it?"

"I thought it'd be cleaner," he remarked, still looking around.

"Cleaner?" the Time Lord asked, offended, before he pointed at him, "We could take you back home right now."

Wilf just shook his head and looked as they worked at on console, "If this is a time machine, that man you're chasing, why can't you just pop back to yesterday and catch him?"

"We cant go back inside our own timeline," the Doctor recited the old age law, looking to girlfriend. He smiled at her and gave her a wink, she returned him a soft smile, now it had seemed that he has come to his senses since what had happened on Mars, "We have to stay relative to the Master within the causal nexus. Understand?"

"Not a word."

"Well then, welcome aboard the TARDIS," Ariana returned with a laugh, giving him sideways hug as he approached her.

"Thank you."

 **-Doctor Who-**

They continued piloting the TARDIS until it materialised inside a barn on the Naismith estate, both of them immediately sensing the Master the very moment they stepped foot outside.

"We've moved!" Wilf exclaimed, looking around in shock, "We've really moved!"

"You should stay here," Ariana gently insisted to him, reluctant for him not to be used as a pawn in her brothers sick little game.

"Not bloody likely!" Wilf responded with a glare.

"And don't swear!" the Doctor told him off.

"Hold on," Ariana now reached into her mates coat and pulled out the remote control key, making the TARDIS dematerialise before them as she tossed him back the key, "It's only hidden just a second out of sync," she informed Wilf.

"Don't want the Master finding the TARDIS," the Doctor agreed, "That's the last thing we all need!"

They headed through the barn coming outside, passing an archway. Ariana pulled her boyfriend back quickly just as two guards walked by.

"That book said he's a billionaire," Wilf informed them, "He's got his own private army!"

Peering around the corner, through the archway Ariana spots something and then looks back at the other two, "Down here!"

She dashed forward, over to a tiny door that is in the archways side, sonicing it open with her sonic and going inside followed by her mate and Wilf, who just shuts the door as the guards go past again. They find themselves before a set of stairs leading down to a basement level and went down them. The Doctor holding a finger to his lips looked around to make sure they stayed quite as he listened, they now could hear someone faintly whispering down the hall.

"Miss Addams, we're getting encouraging results from the ratio-foldback," they heard someone reporting over the comm as they crept nearer the room, "Can you confirm?"

They both peered around the corner to see a blonde woman wearing a black outfit with a white lab coat over the top, smiling as she reads back results.

 _'That's a shimmer,'_ Ariana remarked to the Doctor, having seen the technology before she knew the subtle hints of it's technology in play, the Doctor gave a nod, getting out his sonic.

"The man's a miracle," Addams responded, "All the systems are slotting back into place. The shatterthreads have harmonised, the fibre links intensified. And the multiple overshots have triplicated."

"Nice Gate!" the Time Lord shouts, poking his head around the door frame with his girlfriend.

"Hello," Wilf greeted peering around the other side.

"Don't bother try calling security," the Time Lady warned as they came into the room, "Or we'll tell them you're wearing a Shimmer."

"Cos we reckon anyone wearing a Shimmer doesn't want the Shimmer to be noticed, or they wouldn't need a Shimmer in the first place," the Doctor agreed with her.

"I'm sorry? What's a 'Shimmer?'" she asked pretending to sound innocent.

With a grin the Doctor pointed his sonic at her, "Shimmer!"

The woman turned into a green, spiky alien.

"Oh, my Lord," Wilf gasped pointing at her as she glared back, "She's a cactus!"

"Miss Addams?" a man called over the comm, "Miss Addams?"

But Addams just couldn't move as the Time Lords entered the room more and started to check over the readings for themselves.

"He's got it working," Ari called to the Doctor as she frowned at the readings.

"But what is it?" he asked coming to the computer she's currently at, "What's working?"

Just then a tall man ran into the room, wearing a similar black outfit and lab coat, "What are you doing here?"

Without even looking Ariana pointed her sonic at him, keeping her eyes on the screen, using one hand for typing, she flashes him, "Shimmer!"

The tall man, too also turned into green spiky, cactus as Wilf called the other one as she looked around the older man to him.

"Now, tell us quickly, what's going on?" the Doctor turned to them the tall alien how was shaking his head, "The Master, Harold Saxon, Skeletor. Whatever you're calling him, what's he doing up there?"

He briefly glanced to his mate who was still typing away, checking all the files over, "But I checked the readings. He's done good work. It's operational."

"Sorry, and who are you?" Ari glanced at him.

"I met someone like you," the Doctor added, "He was brilliant, but he was little and red."

"No, that's a Zocci," Addams returned angrily, slightly offended.

"We're not Zocci, we're Vinvocci!" the other agreed, "Completely different."

The Time Lord just shrugged.

"And the Gate is Vinvocci," Addams added with a sigh, "We're a salvage team! We picked up the signal when the humans reactivated it. And as soon as it's working, we can transport it to the ship."

"But what does it do?" the Doctor demanded as he frowned.

"Well, it mends," the other alien added, "It's simple as that. It's a medical device to repair the body. It makes people better."

Ariana shook her head slowly, "No. There has to be more to it, there's just gotta be. Because the Master wouldn't just stop at something simple, no he would do something colossal."

"So that thing's like a sickbed, yes?" Wilf pointed to the machine.

"More or less," Addams replied with a shrug.

"Well, pardon me for asking, but why is it so big?"

The Doctor look at Wilf rather impressed, "Oh, good question. Why's it so big?"

"It doesn't just mend one person at a time," Addams replied, sounding rather fed up.

The other one agreed with a laugh, "That would be ridiculous."

"It mends whole planets."

"Sorry...it does what now?" Ariana asked, eyes going wide with horror, her brothers plan unfolding inside her head, the Doctor blinked his eyes, seeing it being worked out and passed over to him.

"It transmits the medical template across the entire population."

Both the Time Lords shared a single glance before speeding out of the room. They ran up the many flights of stairs as they willed themselves to, following the Masters sense until they come bursting into the control room where the gate machine is standing ready and waiting, "Turn the Gate off right now!"

"At arms!" a man ordered and the guards aimed their guns.

The Doctor took his mate and pulled her behind him, before holding his hands up in surrender, "No, no, no, no, no. Whatever you do, just don't let him near that device."

"Oh, like that was ever going to happen," the Master scoffed before flinging his straightjacket and collar off with his powers he had been forced to wear. He jumped into the air and lands inside the Gate with an almighty roar.

Ari and the Doctor looked on in shock, knowing what was about to happen.

"Homeless, was I?" he shouted, as he began to mock, "Destitute and dying? Well, look at me now!"

"Deactivate it!" Ariana pleaded, "All of you, turn the damn thing off!"

But only it's too late, the Gate had started transmitting. Everyone, save for the Time Lords, began to shake their heads in pain as the Master evily laughed.

"He's...inside my head..." Mr Naismith grimaced in pain.

They looked from person to person, each struggling against the Master.

"Get out of there!" the Doctor ran to the Gate. Only for Ariana to pull him back just in the nick of time before the Master could strike him with a bolt of energy.

"Doctor!" Wilf called out to him, stumbling into the room holding his head, "Ari, there's...there's this face."

They come to his aid, faces full of concern, "What is it? What can you see?" the Time Lord asked hurriedly.

"Well, it's him!" Wilf gestured to the Master, "I can see him!"

"There's something wrong," a newsfeed comes from the television, "It seems to be affecting the President."

Ariana looked over at the controls, running to them, looking about madly, "I can't shut it off!" she called to her mate.

"That's because I locked it!" the Master sneered at his sister.

An idea comes to the Doctor, so he grabs Wilf and drags him over to one of the secure rooms built of the same alien technology, "Wilfred! Get inside now!" he unlocked the door and shoved Wilf inside, letting the other man out. He runs to the other door and began fiddling about with the dials, "Just need to filter the levels..."

"Oh, I can see again!" Wilf breathed with a sigh of relief, "He's gone."

"Radiation shielding," Ariana told him, running over to the boxes, "Now press the button to let him out."

"You what?"

"I can't get out until you press the button," the Doctor instructed, nodding at the button, "That button there!"

Wilf presses the button, letting the Doctor go free.

"Fifty seconds and counting!" the Master shouted with a menacing grin.

"To what?" the Time Lord demanded.

"Oh, you're going to love this."

Both Ariana and the Doctor rushed back towards the controls, in desperation to find some way to shut it all down, working frantically as they ignored everything around them.

"What is it, hypnotism?" the Doctor demanded, "Mind control. You're grafting your thoughts inside them, is that it?"

"Oh, that's way too easy," the Master responded with a laugh, "No, no, no. They're not going to think like me. They're going to become me!" he outstretched his arms, "And...zero!"

A blast of brilliant white light shoots out from the Gate spreading rapidly throughout the room and around the Earth as the Master laughed.

The Time Lords watched on in horror as Naismith, his daughter, and everyone else in the room, except for Wilf who was frantically searching his pockets for something, their heads started shaking fiercely, in a rapid blur, changing before their very eyes into the Master.

"He can't have," the Doctor gasped.

"What is it?" Wilf asked them, before putting his phone back to his ear, "Donna?" he looked back up at them horrified, "Doctor!" he shouted, "Ariana! She's starting to remember. What is it? What have you done, you monster?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, are you talking to me?" the Master turned to Wilf with a grin.

"Or to me?" each of his clones started to ask, the Naismith's and the guards...

"Breaking news," the Master/news reporter announced, "I'm everyone. And everyone in the world is me!"

"I'm President," the Master/Obama said, "President of the United States. Look at me!" people began applauding, every single one looking like the Master, "Ooo, financial solution. Deleted!"

The Master now stepped out of the Gate and approached the other clones of himself in the room, as they stared at the Doctor and his little sister who stood next to Wilf, "The human race was always your favourites," he glanced between them as they stood there both looking helpless, "But now, there is no human race. There is only the Master race!"

He started laughing, all his clones laughing all over the planet. Ariana scrunched her eyes closed, hands grasping her head, the echoes of the Masters laughter amplified by him.


	9. The End of Time: Part Two

Both of the Time Lords had been overpowered by the sheer number of the Masters clones in the room. They had gotten completely surrounded and dragged into an office where the Doctor is now strapped to some kind of wheeled chair, a gag covering his mouth, a strap holding back his head as the same for his arms and legs, bound all over. Ari had been put onto a simple dining chair, tied up with rope, her mouth wasn't covered although her arms were tied behind her back. That being in a similar state to Wilf, sitting at the opposite end of the room. She surveyed her surroundings, her mate was on her left, Wilf on her right and her brother was stood across from her, casually leaning against a desk.

"Now then," the Master went to whisper in the Doctor's ear with a smirk, "I've got a planet to run," he now went and turned to his clones, "Is everybody ready?"

"6, 727, 949, 338 versions of us awaiting orders," the Master/Naismith replied.

The Master looked rather impressed with his handy work, as he smirked at the Doctor and his sister.

"This is Washington," the Master/Obama reported as he appeared on screen, "As President of the United States, I can transfer all the United Nations protocols to you immediately, putting you in charge of all the Earth's defences."

"UNIT HQ, Geneva reporting," the Master/UNIT called, "All under your command, sir."

"And this is the Central Military Commission here in Beijing, sir!" the Master/commissioner added in response, "With over 2.5 million soldiers, sir. Present arms!"

A live feed now showed the Master as Chinese soldiers in military uniforms, all standing before the Forbidden City, presenting arms.

"Enough soldiers and weapons to turn this planet into a warship," the Master exclaimed smirking with satisfaction, glancing at his sister, "Nothing to say, Ari?" he looked at her raising his eyebrow at her.

Ariana took a deep breath, glaring daggers at him, "I have many choice words that I could say to you right now," she scowled, almost on the verge of shaking with anger, trying to keep herself from screaming at him, "None of which are welcoming!"

He just laughed at her"Doctor? What's that?" he moved closer to him as if though worried, "Pardon? Sorry?"

"You leave him the hell alone!" Ari called.

"You let him go, you swine!" Wilf angrily shouted.

The Master sighed, "Oh, your dad's still kicking up a fuss," he nodded to Wilf.

"Yeah?" Wilf returned defiantly with a glare, "Well, I'd be proud if I was!"

The Master put a finger to his lips, "Hush, now! Listen to your Master!" he threatened Wilf before turning away. When suddenly a phone rings. He stiffened on the spot, looking at the Doctor questionably, only to notice him staring at Wilf. He turned back to the elderly man, shocked, "But that's a mobile!"

"Yeah, it's mine," he responded, chuckling awkwardly, "Let me turn it off."

"No, no, no, no, no," the Master walked back to him shaking his head, "I don't think you understand. Everybody on this planet is me. And I'm not phoning you, so who the hell is that?" he knelt down to search Wilf.

"It's nobody. I tell you, it's nothing. It's probably one of them ring-back calls," Wilf tried to convince him as the man continued pawing his coat.

"Ooh, and look at this!" the Master now pulled out a revolver holding it up to show the Doctor who look startled, he turned back to him, "Good man!" he chucks the gun away and continued to look through Wilf's pockets, searching for the phone. Finally finding it he yanks it out, looking down at the screen in confusion, "Donna. Who's Donna?"

"You leave her out of this!" Ariana hissed protectively at him.

The Master smirked and accepted the call, holding it to Wilf's ear, "Gramps, don't hang up. You've got to help me!" Donna voice came over the phone, she sounded so terrified, "I ran out, but everyone was changing!"

"Who is she?" the Master asked him quietly, "Why didn't she change?"

"Gramps, I can't hear you."

"Well, it was this thing the Doctor did...he did it to her," Wilf replied to him, "The Metacrisis."

"Oh, he loves playing with Earth girls!" the Master gave the Doctor a look of disgust who stared back anxiously, "Ugh!"

"Are you there?" Donna called out.

"Find her!" the Master ordered to his clones, "Trace the call!"

"Trace the call," the Master/Naismith repeated.

"Are you still there?" Ariana winced closing her eyes tightly, just as Donna came back on the phone sounding more frightened than ever, "Can you hear me?" Donna cried.

The Master brought the phone closer to Wilf's ear, "Say goodbye to the freak, Granddad," he smirked at him.

"She's called Donna you ass!" Ari's eyes snapped furiously, as she glared at him, "Don't you dare hurt her!"

"Donna, get out of there!" Wilf shouted desperately, "Just get out of there. I'm telling you, run!"

"She's on Wessex Lane, Chiswick," the Master/Naismith informed over the link, "Open the phone lines," he ordered to somebody, "Everyone on Wessex Lane. Red alert."

"What do I do?" Donna cried frantically.

"Run, sweetheart, that's all!" Wilf tried to quickly encourage her, "Run for your life!"

There's a moment's silence before they heard Donna gasp, "There's more of them."

"Donna? What's happening? Are you still there?"

"They're everywhere..."

"You can do this Donna, come on," Ariana muttered under her breath, eyes fixed on the phone that was pressed up against Wilf's ear, "I know you can do this, be that brave and brilliant woman I know you are. Come on, you can do this."

"Look, I'm telling you to run, Donna!" Wilf urged her on, glancing to the Time Lady, who returned him a comforting smile, "Just run, sweetheart. Just run!"

"It's not just them..." she was starting to sound more terrified, "I can see those things again...those creatures. Why can I see a giant wasp?"

"Donna, don't think about that. Donna, my love, don't!"

"And it hurts," Donna cried out, "My head. It keeps getting hotter, and hotter, and hotter, and hotter, and hotter!" she began to scream from the pain and only after a moment goes by, her voice returned, all soft and dazed, "What did I..."

The line goes dead.

"Donna?" Wilf asked franticly after a moment, "What was that?" but there's nothing, "Donna?" still nothing as the Master head snapped in the direction of the Doctor, throwing a brief look to Ariana, "Donna, are you there?" the Doctor smiled behind his gag, winked at the Master, as Ari tilted her head back slightly, gently laughing, "Donna! Donna! Donna!"

"Oh, Donna Noble you amazing, woman!" Ariana grinned with pride, shaking her head.

The Master stormed towards the Doctor, taking the gag off his mouth, "That's better," the Time Lord grinned broadly back at him, "Hello," he greeted raising his eyebrows to him, "But really, did you think I'd leave my best friend without a defence mechanism? Ari took care of it a long time ago."

"If anything like this ever happened," the Time Lady informed him, smiling as he glanced over at her, "I had to make sure Donna stayed safe, lived an ordinary human life," she rolled her eyes at him, "Seriously, tell me you weren't foolish enough to not even consider that I wouldn't go to great lengths to protect the people I love?"

"Doctor? Ari? What happened?" Wilf asked, looking at them both rather concerned.

"She's all right," Ariana reassured him with a comforting smile, wishing she could reach out to give his arm a squeeze, if her arms weren't tied up, "She's fine, I promise. I made it so that she would fall asleep if she began to remember too much of anything," she gave a small laugh, knowing how annoyed Donna was going to be once she woke up, "She won't remember a thing that happened or how she even got outside."

The Master glared at her then the Doctor, coming to rest on him, "Tell me, where's your TARDIS?" he demanded softly.

"You could be so wonderful," the Doctor lightly remarked looking back at him.

"Where is it?"

"You're a genius," the Doctor continued seriously, "You're stone cold brilliant, you are. I swear, you really are," the Master just tilts his head, as if considering what he was saying, "But you could be so much more. You could be beautiful," he almost looks at him sadly, "With a mind like that, me, you and Ari could travel the stars. It would be my honour. Because you don't need to own the universe, just see it," the Doctor shakes his head, "To have the privilege of seeing the whole of time and space...that's ownership enough."

The Master swallowed in hesitation, "Would it stop, then?" he questioned, quietly, "The noise in my head?"

"We can help," the Doctor told him gently, "Ariana and I, we can both help you...we've done such remarkable things together...I have no doubt that we can help."

The Master shook his head, eyes now filling with tears, sounding almost terrified, "I don't know what I'd be without that noise."

The Doctor looked at him thoughtfully, "I wonder what I'd be, without you," he commented, as his eyes travelled to Ariana, thinking exactly the same thing about what could of happened if he hadn't discovered her.

It was scary to even think...if had never had discovered her...made him shudder to think that he would be cold, hard and monstrous being right now if it hadn't been for Ari to put him in his place, to save him from his own destruction...

The Master looked to the floor, seeming to consider this, "Yeah," he gave a nod, sniffing as his eyes met the Doctor's

"What does he mean?" Wilf called after a moment, a frown on his face, "What noise?"

The Master turned and looked at him, "It began on Gallifrey," he moved away from the Doctor, "As children. Not that you'd call it childhood," he scoffed lightly, going over to the window, as Ariana and the Doctor shared a look of concern, before he sat against the desk, "More a life of duty," he glanced to his sister, knowing how attuned she was to the laws of Gallifrey, "Eight years old. I was taken for initiation, to stare into the Untempered Schism."

"What does that mean?"

"It's a gap in the fabric of reality," the Time Lady explained, glancing over to Wilf, "Through it you can see into the Time Vortex itself..." she winced, recalling her own intuition ceremony, how afraid she had been, she had pleaded her parents not to go, but she had no choice, like the other Gallifreyan children, it was their fate and only choice, "...let's just say it hurts a great deal."

"They took me there in the dark," the Master spat as he continued, thoughts going dark again, "I looked into time, old man, and I heard it calling to me. Drums," he took a breath, "The never ending drums," he tilts back his head, "Listen to it," he now looked to the Doctor then his sister, "Listen."

"Then let's find it," the Time Lord tried with a little more hope, "You and me and Ari."

"Except..." the Master briefly paused, "Oh!" he gasped standing to his feet, "Oh, wait a minute!" a grin slowly spread across his face, "Oh, yes. Oh, that's good!"

"What's good?" Ariana asked, now having become worried exchanged a look with her mate.

"The noise exists within my head," the Time Lord realisedthe Master grinned, "And now within six billion heads! Everyone on Earth can hear it! Imagine...oh! Oh, yes!" he started to laugh as they both watched on, now concerned about the sudden bout of insanity. His face flickered briefly to a skeleton and back again before sinking to his knees.

"The Gate wasn't enough," the Time Lord realised as the Master tried to pant for breath, "You're still dying!"

"This body was born out of death, he replied with a sneer, "All it can do is die," he straightened up with a frown, looking back and forth between his sister and the Doctor, "But what did you say to me, back in the wasteland? You said 'the end of time.'"

Ariana looked over to her mate, knowing that it was probably their last chance to get him to listen to them, "We said something is returning," she began to inform him, keeping her hope hidden in her voice, "We we're shown a prophecy. That's why we need your help, please."

"What if I'm part of it?" he gestured to himself, already looking more insane, "Don't you see?" he glanced between them, "The drumbeat is calling from so far away. From the end of time itself!" Ari blinked, as something inside her mind clicked, but she didn't understand what, "And now it's been amplified six billion times. Triangulate all those signals. I could find its source!" he now gasped, "Oh, Doctor and Ari, that's what your prophecy was," he grinned madly and threw his arms out wide, "Me!"

Ariana shook her head in disappointment, "Oh, boy you really have out done yourself," she muttered sarcastically to herself, a tad impressed by how mad her brother has really become. Although she doubted that the prophecy had been something hinting at his return. No it had be something else, something much bigger.

Suddenly, the Master turned around and slapped the Doctor, making him flinch as the sound of it echoed around the entire room, Wilf let out a gasp, Ari winced, wishing she could just charge across that room and slap her brother herself...or kick him where it really hurts. Honestly, she really wasn't fussed.

"Where's the TARDIS?" the Master demanded again but this time more softly.

"No," the Doctor pleaded looking back at him, trying to get through to as his cheek stung. Besides, it could have been much worse, he could gone for Ariana, just as he's feared, "Just stop," he finished calmly, "Just think."

"Kill him!" the Master ordered pointing to Wilf. One of the helmeted soldiers approached, raising his gun to aim it at the older man, "I need that technology, Doctor. Tell me where it is, or the old man is dead."

"Don't tell him!" Wilf called desperately.

'Sweetie,' Ariana quietly called to her mate, 'Is it me or dose that guard look a lot taller than the Master.'

The Doctor began eyeing the guard curiously as the Master shouted, "I'll kill him right now!"

Wilf tensed up, staring at the Master, only for the Doctor to smile, seeing his girlfriend was indeed correct, oh how he loved when she noticed those sort things, "Actually, the most impressive thing about you is that after all this time, you're still bone dead stupid."

Unable to control herself, Ariana snorted, "Wow, that so deserves a high five later," she sent him a smirk and shrugged, well tried to.

The Master gave his neck a roll, looking rather annoyed as he kept his eyes on the pair, "Take aim!"

The Time Lord rolled his eyes, "You've got six billion pairs of eyes, but you still can't see the obvious, can you?"

"Like what?"

"Oh, I dunno genius, if everyone is like you," Ari started off casually, trying to not burst out laughing, "How come that guard is an inch taller than you?"

The Master blinked his eyes and turned around, just as the guard hit him in his head with the butt of his rifle, sending him to the floor as he takes off his helmet, revealing the male Vinvocci from from earlier.

"Oh my God!" exclaimed with a gasp, "I hit him. I've never hit anyone in my life!"

The door to the room comes flying open as Addams came running in "Well, come on!" she went over to Wilf's chair and cut his bonds, "We need to get out of here fast!"

The second alien came over to the Time Lady, snapping the ropes from her hands and then to the Doctor, leaving her to get rid of the rest of the rope.

"God bless the cactuses!" Wilf breathed in relief.

"That's cacti!" the Time Lord corrected.

"That's racist!" the second alien glared up at him, whilst struggling with the Doctor's straps.

"This prophecy of yours, Doctor and Ariana," they heard one of the Master's clones come over the video, "Where did it come from? Doctor?

"Come on!" Addams shouted, getting the last of Wilf's ropes off, "We've got to get out!"

"There's too many buckles and straps!" the second alien complained, still struggling with the straps.

"Just...wheel him!"

"No!" the Doctor's eyes widen as the man did what she suggested, quickly moving to the back of the chair, "No, no. Get me out. No, no, no, don't. Don't! No, no, no!"

They just ignore him pushing him past the camera of the Master/Naismith just as Ariana finished getting her ropes off.

"What's going on?" the man on screen now demanded, "Doctor!"

The roll him out and down the hall, "Which way?" the second alien shouted.

"This way!" Addams ordered, pointing ahead of them as she strode ahead of them, taking the lead.

"No, no, no, no, no," the Time Lord pleaded urgently, "The other way. I've got my TARDIS..."

"I know what I'm doing!"

"No, no, no, just...just listen to me!" that's when he spotted the stairs, "Not the stairs...not the stairs!"

Addams continued to running down the stairs as the other alien pushed the Doctor down, Wilf at the rear with Ariana who couldn't get close enough to use her sonic on the Doctor's bindings.

"No!" he complained jolting in pain as he hits the stairs repeatedly, "Worst rescue ever!"

"Oh, stop complaining!" Ari called up to him, "At least you're being rescued!"

"Just, just stop and listen to me!" the Doctor tried once again, when they come to an abrupt halt as they reach the basement, when the Master/guards come running into the room either side, blocking their way out. They get ready to fire just as the Master shows up grinning.

"Gotcha!" he laughed.

Addams raised her eyebrow and smirked at him, "You think so?" she held up her wrist and pressed her wristwatch.

"No, no, no, no, don't!" both the Time Lords shouted, realising what she is doing, "Don't!"

But it's just too late and they had teleported aboard the Vinvocci ship, that is hovering above the Earth. The Doctor was still strapped into the chair, struggling to get himself free.

"Now get me out of this thing!" the Doctor shouted, growing frustrated as Ari ran straight over to teleport controls, knowing how that it was far more important to disable the controls to stop her brother following them than freeing her mate right now.

"Don't say thanks, will you?" Addams asked rather annoyed.

"The Master ain't gonna let us go so easily!" Ari returned with a shout, as she flashed her sonic at the controls, trying to disable them.

"Just hurry up and get me out!" the Doctor yelled. Wilf looking around, completely lost for words at the sight before him of the Earth outside the window, "Come on!"

"Oh, my goodness me!" Wilf breathed taking the sight in, "We're in space!"

"Get me out!"

"All right!" Addams said with a sigh and moved over to undo his straps.

"Oh, get a move on!" the bonds now loosened he pulled himself out.

"Nearly...nearly..." Ariana carefully stepped back and flashed the sonic, sending a shower of sparks out from inside the controls.

"Brilliant!" he praised his mate running over to her, lifting her up into a hug and spinning her around for a moment before looking back to the aliens, "Where's your flight deck?"

"But we're safe," Addams frowned at him in confusion, "We're a hundred thousand miles above the Earth."

"That's not gonna matter when the Master has every single missile on Earth to shoot at us!" the Time Lady reminded her.

Addams eyes now widened in realisation, clearly not having thought of this, "Good point!" she runs off, leading all of them to the flight deck. Ariana stopping short, turning to grab Wilf and tugging him away from the window and out of the room.

"But we're in space!" he pointed back to outside.

She let out a laugh, "Yes, we are," she agrees with him, "But we can admire the view later, okay?"

Wilf returned a weak chuckle, and they quickly went after the others running through the ship and catching up with the others.

"We've got to close it down!" the Time Lord called to the aliens soon as they had entered the room.

The man replied as he shook his head, fiddling with one of the many computers, "No chance, mate. We're going home."

"We're just a salvage team!" Addams informed them, "Local politics has got nothing to do with us," she now shrugged, "Not unless there's a carnival. Sooner we get back to Vinvocci space the better."

The Doctor looked over his shoulder at them, "We're not leaving!" he stated firmly aiming his sonic at the controls, which exploded violently, making the ship lurch backwards and send the ship into complete darkness, the only light that could be seen was coming off the Earth. As the engines now slowly cut out.

Ariana quickly put a finger to her lips, casting everyone a stern look when they attempt to open their mouths, "Shush, shush," she hushed as the ship loudly creaked around them.

After a few short tense moments no one even dared to move, simply they just waited. Another long moment of nothing goes by, the Time Lords relaxed a little breathing a sigh of relief. The male alien moved over to the controls, flicking the switch, but gets no response.

Addams went to peer out of the window, before glancing over her shoulder at them, "No sign of any missiles," she remarked with a glare, "No sign of...anything," she continued to glare at them, voice raising slightly, "You've wrecked the place!"

"The engines are burnt out," the reported with a sigh, both the Time Lords sharing a look, Ariana feeling slightly guilty, when they really didn't have much choice, "All we've got is auxiliary lights..." he went on switching on the lights, as they came on around the room, "Everything else is kaput. We can't move. We're stuck in orbit."

Addams turned to the pair, glaring at them pointing a finger at them, "Thanks to you, you idiots!" she storms off, her partner following behind her.

The Time Lady blinked staring after the pair, letting out a heavy sigh and pinching the bridge of her nose, "Oh, great," she commented dryly, "Exactly what we need right now, is annoying more people," she now looked over to her mate, "Also it's a first for me...no ones ever called me the idiot before."

Wilf stepped up looking between the couple, "I know you two, though," he nodded at them, "I bet you've got a plan, haven't you?"

Ariana smiled kindly at the old man, "Oh, Wilf, another thing you should know is that he never has a plan."

He gave a chuckle and looked to the Doctor, "Come on. You've always got a trick up your sleeve. Nice little bit of the ol' 'Doctor flim-flam ha ha', sort of thing? Hey?" he frowned seeing the hopeless expression on the Doctor's face, "Oh, blimey."

Ariana winced seeing the look on her boyfriends face, "Not to worry, Wilf," she went up to the man, giving his arm a pat and a put on cheerful smile, "We'll come up with something. Don't worry over it," she glanced over her shoulder at the Doctor, who looked back at her, putting on a smile as she returned to look at the other man, "Now, why don't you go and have a explore around? It's not like every day you get the chance to explore an alien spaceship, huh?"

Wilf's eyes brightened at the idea, so he responded with a nod, "All right," he straightened up and headed off to see more of the ship, "I'll let you both get on."

They watched him leaving, making sure that he was out of hearing distance the Time Lord turned to his mate, "Ari, what was that about?"

"The man needed some cheering up and a little dash of hope," she casually shrugged, casting her eyes over the controls, "Besides that we need to get back to Earth asap, so lets fix what we broke, whilst coming up with a plan at the same time, too."

"Do you think we have a chance of winning this?"

"There's always a chance if we work together, sweetie. Let's not lose hope just yet. Now, come on we've got work to do."

With that, she took him by the arm and pulled him towards the teleportation room.

-Doctor Who-

Both of the Time Lords were working in an easy silence, the other asking opinions of when it came to something a bit tricky to work. The Doctor leaning on his side fiddling with some wires and cables, occasionally glancing at the Earth now and again, just to give him some reassurance it's still there, when something catches his eye...

"Ari?" he called, as he stood up and approached the window.

"Yup?" she popped her head up.

"Look right there..."

She now frowned, as she saw the white streak that was in the sky moving around the controls and over to her mates side, "What could that be?"

"I don't know Ari," he responded with a shake of his head, "Well whatever it is we need to back to Earth, fast."

She returned an understanding nod and they both quickly went back to their appointed positions, getting back to their work.

The door comes sliding open just a few minutes later with a hesitant Wilf walking in, "Aye, aye. Got this old tub mended?"

"Just trying to fix the heating," the Doctor replied, as he slotted a cable in place before nodding over his shoulder, "Ari's doing the much harder stuff."

Wilf gave a chuckle, sitting down nearby the Time Lord but could see Ariana's legs lying under the controls from this position, "I've always dreamt of a view like that," he waves at the window, "He, he! I'm an astronaut!" he pointed to the Earth, "It's dawn over England, look. Brand new day..." he paused for a moment, his smile disappearing, "My wife's buried down there. I might never visit her again now," Wilf turned to to them, "Do you think he changed them, in their graves?"

The Doctor looked away from him, voice full of regret, "We're sorry."

"No, not your fault."

"Isn't it?" the Time Lord sighed.

Wilf then feels somebody coming to sit beside him. Looking over he sees Ariana there, she leans against him, resting her head upon his shoulder and reached out taking his hand in hers, "If you start to do that...I'll end up saying that it's our fault ya know," he began to open his mouth to speak when she started to speak again, "And don't try bothering to argue...women are never wrong. Right Wilf?"

He returned the woman a fond smile, "That they are, my dear," he now laughed, tears in his eyes, "Never was able win a argument against the misses, not once," he looked back at the Earth, now becoming lost in his thoughts, "1948, I was over there. End of the Mandate in Palestine. Private Mott. Skinny little idiot, I was. Stood on this rooftop..." the Doctor took off his glasses, a sadness coming to him as the story brought up memories of Gallifrey, the war, but Ariana just gave his hand another squeeze, "In the middle of a skirmish. It was like a blizzard, all them bullets in the air. The world gone mad. Yeah, you don't want to listen to an old man's tales, do you?"

"We're older than you," Ariana informed him, "And by a very long shot."

"Get away," he waved both of them off.

"I'm 906," the Doctor told him, calm but amused.

"What, really, though?" Wilf asked, his eyes widening.

"I'm 886," Ari added.

"Eight hun...Nine hundred years! We must look like insects to you."

"We think you look like giants," the Doctor replied honestly. Humans really are the most incredible species to him.

After a moment Wilf took a deep breath reached inside his coat pocket, pulling out his gun, "Listen, I...I want you to have this. I've kept it all this time, and I thought..."

The Time Lord folded his arms across his chest, drawing back into his mates warmth, "No."

"No, but if you take it, you could..."

"No..." he said more firmly.

Ariana watched Wilf staring at the gun in his hand, "I saw...you had that gun in the mansion," she slightly tilted her head, "You could have shot the Master there and then but yet you didn't," she gave a small smile.

"Too scared, I suppose," Wilf admitted with a shrug, partly embarrassed.

The Doctor gave him a serious look, "I'd be proud."

"Of what?" Wilf looked back, confused.

"If you were my dad," he replied, teary eyed.

Ariana smiled softly at them both, giving her mates arm a comforting squeeze. She knew his father on Gallifrey, he hadn't been the most understanding and supportive father figure in the world. He was rather rigid man, a typical Time Lord for you, who lived and breathed the laws. He had always gave off the impression that he was ashamed or embarrassed of Kas, by the adventures he had or his disregard for the rules...if he could only see his son now...see all the amazing things he's accomplished...

"Oh, come on," Wilf began with a shake of his head, as the Time Lords smiled at him, "Don't start..." he presses a finger to his mouth, thinking, "But you said...you were told 'he will knock four times' and then you die. Well, that's him, isn't it? The Master. That noise in his head?" he taps his head, "The Master is going to kill you."

Ariana closed her eyes, wincing at the very thought of her brother killing her Bonded and the Doctor tightened his grip around her hand.

"Yeah," the Doctor sighed, almost accepting this fate.

"Then kill him first," Wilf suggested, holding the gun out to him again.

"That's how he started," Ariana swallowed thickly, voice think with emotion, "He never used to be like this when we were younger, I used to look up my brother, and then after initiation...he changed," she briefly paused, looking at the floor.

Wilf lowered the gun, recalling that the Master is Ariana's brother...how hard this must be for her.

"It's not like we're innocent," the Doctor began, holding onto Ari, "We've both taken lives," he swallowed harshly, tears coming to his eyes, "But I got worse. I got clever...manipulated people into taking their own..."

Ariana reached out and hugged him, placing her head against the side of his face, giving him reassurance.

"Sometimes I think the Time Lord lives too long," he let out a shaky sigh, feeling Ari's love and warmth envelope him, calming him, "I can't. I just can't."

"If the Master dies, what happens to all the people?" Wilf asked.

"I don't know."

"Doctor, what happens?"

"The template snaps," Ariana replied meeting Wilf's eyes.

"What, they go back to being human?" Wilf questioned as they nodded in response, "They're alive? And human? Then don't you dare, sir!" he cried furiously at the Time Lord, "Don't you dare put him before them. Now you take this. That's an order, Doctor. Take the gun. You take the gun and save your life," he forcefully held out the gun, pressing it firmly into the Doctor's hand, tears in his eyes, "And please don't die. You're the most wonderful man and I don't want you to die."

"Never," he pushes the gun away. In a way...that said he would be most welcome for the Master to kill him, only as long as he regenerated at the end and not die completely.

"Don't worry Wilf he's got me to look after him," she reached out and gave his arm a squeeze.

Wilf began sobbing.

As the Master's voice started speaking though the ship, "A star fell from the sky," he went on. As Wilf gasped in shock while both the Time Lords looked, not surprised to hear him in the slightest, "Don't you want to know where from?Because now it makes sense, Doctor, Ari. The whole of my life. My destiny," Ariana and the Doctor shared a look, "The star was a diamond. And the diamond is a Whitepoint Star!"they both gasped, as Ari's eyes widened, "And I have worked all night to sanctify that gift. Now the star is mine. I can increase the signal and use it as a lifeline! Do you get it now? Do you see? Keep watching, Doctor. This should be spectacular. Over and out."

Just as the broadcast finished it left the Doctor breathing heavily, the strain on his face, eyes wide with fear while Ariana began to look pale and shocked and very frightened as they both realised what the Master is now planning. Both of them clutching each others hands.

"Oh, no, no, no, please...no," Ariana gasped, starting to tremble.

"What's he on about?" Wilf asked them both with a stutter, "What's he doing? What does that mean?"

"A Whitepoint Star is only found on one planet," the Doctor swallowed, "Gallifrey! Which means..."

"The Time Lords," Ari's voice shook as she spoke, "The Time Lords are returning!"

"Well, I mean, that's good, isn't it?" Wilf gave them an eager look, "I mean, that's your people!"

The Doctor suddenly reached forward taking the gun, he held it up and stared at it his finger on the trigger. He briefly glanced at his mate, before jumping to his feet. He slides the gun into his pocket, running with Ariana on his heels as through the ship back to the observation deck. That's when an echo of four beats came out of the speakers. Playing over and over.

"What's that?" Addams asked, looking up from the controls she had been working on with her partner.

He went to check the computer, "Coming from Earth," he tells them, "It's on every single wavelength."

Both the Time Lords breathed heavily, afraid as they clutched onto each other's hands whilst the other two aliens turned to look at the Earth. After a few moments they shake themselves off and began running around the controls knowing what to do next.

"But you said your people were dead!" Wilf called watching them rushing about, working on this and that, "Past tense."

"Yeah, but inside the Time War," Ariana responded with a nod as she quickly typed something into one of the controls, "And the whole War was Time locked," she kneeled on the ground and disappeared under one of the computers, only her black boots could be seen as she worked with her sonic to connect a couple of wires together.

"Like, sealed inside a bubble," the Doctor went on to explain as he finishes reactivating some equipment, pausing for moment to glance over at Wilf, "It's not a bubble but just think of a bubble..."

"Sweetie, I wouldn't call that simplifying it!" The Time Lady called with a muffled voice from underneath the computer.

"Okay, right," he gave a nod, flicking some switches, "Well, anyway nothing can get in or get out of the Timelock," he looked back to Wilf again, "Don't you see? Nothing can get in or get out, except something that was already there!"

"The signal!" Wilf gasped in realisation as Ariana reappeared, with a smudge of grease the right side of her cheek, "Since he was a kid!"

"If they can follow the signal, they can escape before they die."

"Well, then, big reunion!" the old man smiled broadly, turning to watch the Time Lords working at the controls, "We'll have a party!"

"There's not gonna be a party," Ariana spoke firmly.

Wilf frowned at them both, "But I've heard you talk about your people like they're wonderful."

"That's how we choose to remember them, the Time Lords of old," the Doctor grimly informed, exchanging looks with his girlfriend as he runs across the other side, "But then they went to war. An endless war, and it changed them right to the core," he glanced to Wilf as he flashed his sonic at one of the panels, "You've seen my enemies, Wilf. The Time Lords are more dangerous than any of them!"

"Time Lords, what Lords?" Addams repeated dismissively, "Anyone want to explain?"

"Right, yes, you," the Doctor now pointed to her, "This is a salvage ship, yes? You go trawling the asteroid fields for junk?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

Ariana grinned, "Which means you've got asteroid lasers!"

"Yeah, but they're all frazzled," the second alien shook his head.

The Time Lady went across to the controls, "Well, not any more!" she said brightly, flipping the lever, as the doors off to either side slid open.

"You there..." the Doctor pointed at Addams, looking frustrated, "What's your name?" he shook his head, "I'm going to need you on navigation, he now went to point at her partner, "And you, get in the laser-pod!"

The man just stared back at him, rather confused on what to do before moving, while his partner just stood there with an annoyed look.

The Time Lords hurried over to Wilf, "Wilfred!" they called, stopping before him.

"Yeah?" he blinked back in surprise.

Ariana smiled widely at him and winked, "Laser number two," she ordered him.

"The old soldier's got one more battle," the Doctor added with a smile.

"This ship can't move," Addams informed rolling her eyes at them, as both of them stepped over to the front deck, "It's dead!"

"Oh, sorry did I forget to mention?" the Time Lord turned to grin at her, "That my Bonded is an absolute genius!"

Ariana went to flip another switch and two massive ones. The lights come on with a hum as the entire ship comes back to life.

"But now they can see us!" Addams exclaimed.

"Oh, yes!" the Doctor smiled at Ariana who returned a wink back at him. Before giving each other a high five as he went over to the steering controls, taking hold of them.

"This is my ship, and you're not moving it. Step away from the wheel!"

"There's an old Earth saying, Captain," the Doctor countered, not intending to move, "A phrase of great power and wisdom, and consolation to the soul in times of need."

"What's that, then?" Addams rolled her eyes.

Both the Time Lords looked to each other and shouted in unison, "Allons-y!"

And with that they both pulled back the controls. The ship suddenly taking off, throwing the aliens and Wilf backwards as it sped back down towards the Earth.

-Doctor Who-

"Come on!" the Doctor called through gritted teeth as he and his mate, who with one hand was tightly gripping the railing behind them while she help him pilot the ship, sending it speeding at an alarming rate towards the Earth, "Come on...!"

The windows outside began glowing golden they entered the atmosphere.

"You are blinking, flipping mad!" Addams shouted at the Time Lords, gesturing angrily at them.

"You two!" the Doctor glanced over his shoulder, seeing Wilf and the other alien still standing there, "What did I say? Lasers!"

"What for?" the alien asked, his eyes partly closed from the bright light coming from the atmosphere outside.

Ariana shook her head, looking over at him, "Because of the missiles genius!" she yelled over the noise, "We've got to fight off an entire planet!"

The man blinked and ran off towards the laser pods, Wilf not far behind going into the second pod. Just as the ship breaks free of the atmosphere, hitting the brilliant blue and sunny sky as they flew further towards the ground, almost skimming across the sea.

"We've got incoming!" Addams alerted to them, looking at the navigation system.

"You two, open fire!"

The Doctor sharply turned the ship, just avoiding a missile, causing Ariana to almost curse in Gallifreyan nearly having lost her grip on the railing, "Open fire!" the Time Lord repeated, "Come on, Wilf!"

They managed to start shooting their lasers at the missiles, hitting and destroying a few, as the Doctor continued to weave and duck the ship, when they thought things had finally settled down they levelled out.

"And there's more!" Addams informed, as Ariana groaned loudly in frustration, "Sixteen of them," her tone becoming sarcastic, "Oh, and another sixteen!"

"Then get on the rear gun lasers!" the Time Lady ordered quickly, glancing in her direction, looking on as she struggled to her feet and running out of the room, struggling to not be tossed around.

"You two, open fire!" the Doctor shouted to the two men urgently, knowing there was a storm of missiles coming their way, "Now!"

The lasers began firing again, causing the missiles to explode mid-air as the Doctor veered the ship from side to side, just trying to avoid being hit.

"Doc, look out!" Ariana cried in warning, noticing a missile on one of the screens that was heading straight towards them out of the two men's blind spot.

He quickly spots what she has seen, becoming more determined than ever, "No, you don't!" he turns the ship full circle, making Ari yelp, Addams letting out a scream from behind them before it levelled out again, giving both men the chance to blow up more missiles, they ducked more violently than ever, "Come on! Fire!"

As they swerved away from the last missile, it explodes the full force of it causing the ships front window to smash, sending shards of glass flying towards the Time Lords as they leapt to the floor, covering their faces. Ariana hissed in pain, feeling a shard of glass slice her left arm, but the cut wasn't that deep, thankfully.

"Lock the navigation!" she now yelled over to Addams, who returns to the navigation controls straightening herself up, her eyes almost closed against the winds pressure coming through the smashed window, also her pain.

"Onto what?" Addams asked.

"England," the Time Lord replied, "The Naismith mansion!" they wait a few moments before reaching land, flying over it, "Destination?"

"Fifty kliks and closing," Addams reported back, "We've locked on to the house! We are going to stop, though?" she began to get concerned when they didn't answer, both of their gazes fixed before them, "Doctor, Ariana? We are going to stop?"

"Doctor?" Wilf struggled back onto the flight deck, "Doctor, you said you were going to die!"

"He said what?" Addams demanded.

"But is that all of us?" Wilf continued, "I won't stop you, sir, ma'am. But...is this it?"

Ari glanced in her mates direction, wincing again, but not from the pain, but from the bitter, hard look on his face before looking over to Wilf, "Oh, It'll never be you besides you've got a good few years left in you yet," she gave him a smile, "We could never take that away from you if we can help it."

The Doctor aimed the ship towards the mansion, pulling up just at the right moment before it hit. He looked to his mate, who gave him a look of determination and returned her a grim smile taking her hand, running over to the hatch in the floor not far from the controls. They both knelt on the ground, yanking the lid off, chucking it aside, as the Doctor pulled out the gun with his free hand still holding Ari's. They both looked up to meet Wilf's eyes and gave him a nod before jumping out of the ship.

They rapidly fell through the air, before crashing through the glass domed ceiling of the Naismith mansion, landing with a heavy thud onto the marble floor in the centre of the room between the Master and the newly resurrected Time Lords, a group of five. Two guards are at the back, two weeping women before them, and the President Rassilon himself standing before them all.

Ariana gasped for air, the side of her face pressed to floor, aching all over with pain feeling the multiple cuts all over her body and face. Her clothes were cut and torn through from the glass, as she felt the warm blood trickling from her wounds. Her eyes are heavy as she tried to open them, seeing her mate laying beside her, on his stomach in a similar state to how she is. But amazingly, still had the gun in his grasp.

The Master now uncovered his face, looking stunned and disbelieving at the sight of both the Doctor and his sister laying on the floor before him. Quickly turned to his clones, "Get her!"

Three guards ran over and hauled Ariana to her feet, ignoring her moans of pain from having been suddenly moved, pulled her away from the Doctor who weakly reached out to her. They half dragged her over to the other side of the room, getting out a pair of handcuffs and locking her arms over her head around a piece of equipment, keeping her tied up there, away from her mate.

The Doctor tried to reach out in agony for Ari, as he now winced dropping back down from his effort. He took a shuddering breath, tightly wrapping his fingers around the gun, as his arm shakes while raising it at the Lord President of Gallifrey, but he just felt he couldn't hold his arm up, letting it fall back to the floor nearly collapsing, catching his breath.

He could feel Ariana's pain radiating from within him from the fall as she could feel his own, but so far so good, she was safe and still alive which gave him plenty of reassurance to gather his bearings and his strength.

"My Lord Doctor," Rassilion began to speak as he stepped forwards, giving the Doctor a scornful look, "My Lady Healer," he cast her a long look, seeming to enjoy seeing them in pain looking across the room, "My Lord Master," he smirked, "We are gathered for the end."

The Doctor and Ariana looked on at the President through their agony and misery, both helpless from pain as the Master looked on, rather smugly. The Doctor tried to get up, face cut and bleeding, suit in tatters. He a brief yet worried glance back to Ari seeing she's just as bad, seeing she had a cut lip that was dripping blood already on to a bruised chin, there was a nasty gash across her left cheek, hair a complete mess, with some glass caught through it. He now looked back to the President, "Listen to me. You can't!"

"It is a fitting paradox that our salvation comes at the hands of our most infamous child," Rassilon cut him short, looking to the Master.

"Oh, please he's not saving you," Ariana scoffed disbelievingly, her voice hoarse with pain, "Can't you see what he's trying to do?"

"Hey, no, hey!" the Master turned to give his sister a disapproving look, "That's mine! Hush!" he put finger to his lips to to make he silent before throwing out his arms wide turning to face the President, "Look around you. I've transplanted myself into every single human being. But who wants a mongrel little species like them? Because now I can transplant myself into every single Time Lord," he sneered as Rassilon deeply inhaled, "Oh, yes, Mister President, sir! Standing there all noble and resplendent and decrepit. Think how much better you're going to look as me!"

The Doctor and Ariana watched on in silence as the President slowly raised his left hand, cloaked in a gauntlet that began to glow. The smile getting wiped off the Master's face as the President opened his hand and releasing the glow, all the humans heads began to shake rapidly as before when becoming the Master.

"No, no, don't," the Master moaned almost childishly, "No, no, stop it! No, no, no, don't!"

Rassilon looked on calmly as every human returned to normal, nearly collapsing as their heads stopped, "On your knees, mankind," he ordered.

They immediately obeyed dropping to their knees.

No, that's fine," the Master shook his head, with tone of desperation in his voice as he looked to the President, "That's good, because you said salvation. I still saved you. Don't forget that!"

The whole room began to shake beneath them and a dull rumbling filled the air echoing around everyone as Ari and the Doctor shared a look.

Rassilion smirked looking up to the ceiling, "The approach begins!"

The Master frowned giving Ariana and the Doctor a questionable look, "Approach of what?"

"Something is returning," the Doctor replied, glaring angrily at him through clenched teeth, "Don't you ever listen? That was the prophecy. Not someone, something!"

"What is it?"

"Oh, you really are stupid!" Ariana nearly cried with frustration, "They're not just bringing back the species. Gallifrey is coming back!" she shouted at him as his eyes widened in realisation, "Right here, right now!"

The room shook more violently, the rumbling getting louder as they looked above through the shattered remains of the dome seeing the burning red and orange planet appearing in the sky above them. The humans began screaming in fear, running out of the room, as Rassilon watched, smiling. The Master dropped to his knees, face shining with victory.

"But, I did this," the Master laughed, "I get the credit. I'm on your side!"

"Come on, get out of the way!" the Doctor and Ariana looked up now hear Wilf calling, as he barged his way through the other human into the room, "Get out of the way! Doctor? Ariana?" he paused looking to see where they are in the room.

A man now pounded on the glass door of one of the radiation booths, grabbing Wilf's attention, "Help me, please!" he begged, "Somebody, please..."

"All right!" Wilf hurried over to him, "I've got you, mate. I've got you."

"Wilf, don't!" Ari shouted in warning.

"Don't!" the Doctor called as well.

But it was already too late, he had stepped inside the box hitting the release button, locking himself inside as the scientist fled the room. The Doctor feeling helpless dropped his head, on the verge of tears, because Wilf was now trapped.

The room started shaking more violently as just as the Master turned to the President, looking up through the broken dome as Gallifrey appeared above, "But this is fantastic, isn't it?" he asked with a mad grin, both Ariana and the Doctor sensing the fear behind those words. He looked down to the Doctor who was glaring back, "The Time Lords restored!"

"You have no idea what happened in the last days of the war!" Ariana snapped at him her voice shaking with anger, as he spun around at her, seeing tears in her eyes, "You never saw what was born," she started to sob, "Because you weren't there..."

"But if the Timelock's broken, then everything's coming through," the Doctor added seriously, feeling just as angry as Ariana, "Not just the Daleks, but the Skaro Degradations, the Horde of Travesties, the Nightmare Child, the Could-have-been King with his army of Meanwhiles and Never-weres," his tone darkened, "The War turned into hell!"

"All those people who fought, died and lost their lives against all those beings," Ari continued, shaking her head as she glared at him, "You never cared what happened to our sister, because you never asked," her voice turned cold, "Did you know that she died protecting a group of children, now look what you've done! Bringing back the things that murdered her, but do you know what you don't even care, do you?" she looked away from her brother in utter disgust, "The War turned everything to hell and now it's descending upon us all."

The Master now looking slightly paler than earlier, swallowed looking back to Rassilon, "My kind of world," he now smirked, but still startled by what he had been told.

"Just listen! Because even the Time Lords can't survive that!"

"We will initiate the Final Sanction," Rassilon announced with a slow smile, "The end of time will come at my hand," he glanced to both Ariana and the Doctor, "The rupture will continue until it rips the Time Vortex apart!"

"That's suicide!" the Master returned sharply, looking back in alarm.

"We will ascend to become creatures of consciousness alone. Free of these bodies, free of time, and cause and effect, while creation itself ceases to be."

The Doctor looked over at his mate sorrowfully, all that work, all that sacrifice were for nothing...he'd seen it after he had found her...that she had lost everything to save their planet just like he did.

"You see now?" Ariana breathed deeply, looking to her brother pleadingly, "That's what they were planning in the final days of the War."

"And I had to stop them!" the Doctor shouted back.

"Then...take me with you!" the Master pleaded, tears coming to his eyes, "Lord President. Let me ascend into glory!" he knew this was his last chance to escape, to live...he was right, Ari would come to hate him even more one day, well that day has come...only he just couldn't bear to see her looking at him that way, knowing how she felt...so he had to get away!

"You are diseased!" the President sneered at him, as his face fell, "Albeit a disease of our own making," he shook his head at him, "No more!" he raised his gloved hand, glowing slightly as he aimed it, as if he were about to strike the Master down.

"No!" Ari struggled, trying to break free form her chains. No matter how much anger she felt towards her brother, she didn't want to see him die!

There is a loud click as the Doctor wobbled up onto his feet and pointed the revolver in Rassilon's direction, his finger pressed lightly on the trigger, as he tried to protect some who had once been his best friend, the person who was his Bonded's brother.

Both Wilf and Ariana stared at him, horrified to see him with the gun, which made her struggle much harder, she could sense the chaos within him, he was lost on what to do, or what he would do, she needed to get over to him!

"Choose your enemy well," the President warned, "We are many. The Master is but one."

"But he's the President," the Master called from behind, "Kill him, and Gallifrey could be yours!"

The Doctor rapidly turned, now aiming the gun at the Master instead just as Rassilon lowered his hand.

"He's to blame, not me!" the Master shouted at the Doctor, as his eyes went wide in realisation, "Oh! The link is inside my head!" he slumped his shoulders slightly, "Kill me...the link gets broken, they go back," the Doctor tensed up, hand shaking slightly as the Masters eyes narrowed, meeting his gaze, "You never would, you coward!" they remained staring at each other, as the Master's face faltered, fear creeping into him. He tensed up, realising something...the Doctor was Bonded, he would do anything to protect his mate, even if he killed him, "Go on then. Do it!"

After a long moment the Doctor hadn't moved, his finger twitching on the trigger as Ari shook her head, "Sweetie, please," she pleaded to him quietly, because despite of what he has done, she certainly didn't want to see her mate kill him, "There gotta be another way..."

Ari's words seemed to have snapped him back to reality and the Doctor turned to face Rassilon again.

"Exactly," the Master laughed, "It's not just me, it's him. He's the link. Kill him!"

Ariana let out a heavy sigh, throwing a dark look his way, "Will, you please just shut up?" she bites back at him, "If you insist on annoying me any more I'd come over there and shoot you myself, so I suggest that you zip it."

"The final act of your life is murder," the President remarked with a sneer, eyeing the Doctor, "But which one of us?"

A slight movement to the right of the President catches his attention...one of the women had lowered her hands, exposing her face. His eyes widened as his entire expression changed into one of sadness and regret watching as a tear cascaded down the woman's cheek.

Ariana gasped silently, her eyes stayed on the woman as well...oh God. She glanced between her mate and the woman, watching their silent exchange, trying not to listen to his thoughts as he spoke with his mother.

The Time Lord spun back around again, aiming his gun at the Master who suddenly looked lost terrified. Feeling both his mates and mothers eyes upon him as he stared down the Master.

"Get out of the way," he growled through his teeth to him.

The Master stared at him for a few seconds before returning half a smile and dived over to the left, landing beside Ariana, just when a gun shot was fired at the machine producing the link that had pulled Gallifrey and the Time Lords to Earth. The machine exploded into a ball of flames as the Master cover his sister from it.

The Doctor turned back to face the President as wind began rushing around him, "The link is broken!" he shouted, "Back into the Time War, Rassilon. Back into hell!"

Ariana gasped, the Master following her widened gaze to the Time Lords. But it wasn't them she was looking at, but to the second woman weeping to the left who had lowered her hands...their mother...looking at them with such pride.

The Master willed himself not to cry seeing her once again. As she looked back at him with sadness but at the same time proud. So, very proud.

"You'll die with me, Doctor!" Rassilon shout at him, raising his glove.

"No..." Ari whimpered, as she struggled with her chains.

"I know," the Doctor replied in a calm manner.

The Master looked down at his sister, she had tears streaming from her eyes as she fought against her chains. He now looked back up to the second woman, their mother, who gave him a small nod before coving her face back up with her hands.

He went to take Ari's head between his hands and kissed the top of her head something he hand never done before. He got up and went to stand behind the Doctor.

He was going to do this...for her.

"Get out of the way," he calmly demanded, rubbing his hands together.

The Doctor spun around to look at him sharply, his eyes widening in disbelief and then jumped back just as the Master fired a bolt of energy into the President's chest, making him stagger backwards.

"You did this to me!" the Master yelled furiously at him, "All of my life!" he fires another bolt, "You made me! One!" his skeleton flickered into view as he shoots another bolt, sending each one as he counted them, "Two! Three! Four!"

With his final bolt a bright light filled up the room as the Time Lords and the Master get dragged away, it was almost blinding as the others got pulled back to Gallifrey. The Doctor came running to Ariana's side, protecting her as the red and orange planet in the sky disappeared.

-Doctor Who-

The Doctor wakes up with a gasp, still lying on the floor of Naismith mansion beside his mate, who is pressed against the equipment, handcuffs still on. He gazed at the space where the Time Lords had stood moments ago, but they were now gone.

There's some shuffling near to him and he looked over seeing Ariana strating to wake up. He struggled over to her side as her eyelashes fluttered against her cheek, before finally opening her eyes, "Sweetie, you're alive," she breathed out with relief, "I thought you were..."

"I know," he nodded, "But I'm alive!" he shouted, grabbing Ari's and kissing her hard, "I'm still alive!" he laughed, one somewhere between a laugh and a cry, embracing Ariana when...

Four knocking sounds brake through the celebrations.

Both the Time Lords froze as the sound of somebody knocking on glass echoed throughout the room.

Ari gasped in horror, just as the Doctor pulled back looking into her tear filled eyes.

Another four knocks came and another.

Looking up the Doctor looked over towards the radiation booth, Wilf waving weakly back at him inside one of the compartments.

"They gone, then?" Wilf called to them, only nodding in response, "Yeah, good-o. If you could let me out?"

The Doctor stared at him for a long moment, sadly nodding, "Yeah," he went on softly kissing Ariana's forehead as she let out a shuddering breath and slowly stood to his feet.

"Only, this thing seems to be making a bit of a noise," Wilf continued anxiously, gesturing around the booth as it hummed loudly.

"The Master..." he began swallowing thickly, "Left the Nuclear Bolt running. It's gone into overload."

"And that's bad, is it?"

"No," the Time Lord shook his head, "Because all the excess radiation gets vented inside there," he pointed at the booths, "Vinvocci glass contains it. All five hundred thousand rads, about to flood that thing."

"Oh," Wilf tried to chuckle, "Well, you'd better let me out, then."

"Except it's gone critical," the Doctor continued, Wilf's face falling, "Touch one control and it floods..." he took out his sonic, "Even this would set it off."

"I'm sorry...look, just leave me."

He returned a bitter smile, putting his sonic away, "Okay, right then, I will. Because you had to go in there, didn't you? You had to go and get stuck, oh yes!" he swallowed hard, realising something, "Because that's who you are, Wilfred. You were always this. Waiting for me all this time."

"No really, just leave me," Wilf held his hands up, "I'm an old man, Doctor. I've had my time."

"Well, exactly. Look at you. Not remotely important! But me? I could do so much more! So much more! But this is what I get. My reward. And it's not fair!" he shoved some papers off a desk beside him as a sob comes ringing out.

He looked back over to Ariana, still cuffed up to the equipment and felt his eyes beginning to fill with tears, clearly knowing what had to be done. He didn't want to leave his mate, God he so didn't want to leave her...he looked back towards the booth, be it wouldn't be him if he didn't go through with this...he wouldn't be the man she fell in love with if he didn't...

"I have to do this you know I do," he spoke softly, looking into her eyes.

She twisted slightly to look up at him, tears flowing down her face as she began to struggle against her handcuffs. Having no clue where the keys were, she tried her powers but she felt weak and couldn't unlock them because she couldn't see the locks, her sonic was in the back pocket of her jeans, which she couldn't reach or see...and she knew her mate wouldn't unlock them because he knew she would try stopping him, taking his place instead.

"No," Wilf pleaded desperately, through the glass as the Doctor approached the the booth, "No, no, please, please don't. No, don't! Please don't! Please!"

'Kas, you can't die,' Ariana whispered into his head, 'Please don't die. Not when I've not long just found you...I can't lose you...not now...'

'I won't,' he promises to her, 'I'm going to fight it. I won't die, I'll only...change...' he winced at this, 'I'll survive this just for you. I swear on it.'

'I love you Ari...' he whispered, looking at her knowing it would probably be the last time he sees her through these eyes.

'I love you, too Kas,' she returned a sad smile.

He now looked back and paused for a moment resting his hand on the handle and glanced to Wilf, "Wilfred, it's my honour," he took a deep breath, "Better be quick," he steps inside, "Three," he pushes the button releasing Wilf, "Two," Wilf rushed out,

"Wilf!" the Time Lady shouted for the man, "Get me out of these things! Get my sonic!" she nodded to the back pocket of her jeans.

Wilf went hurrying over to help the woman as the Doctor pushed the final button, "One."

He almost sobbed as Ariana cried out feeling her mates pain. He pulled out the metallic wand from her pocket and hit a button, aiming them at the cuffs. They come snapping open just as the Doctor fell to his knees.

"Doctor!" she cried getting up and running towards the booth, as he collapsed in on himself, hands over his head, "Doctor..." she kneeled before him, resting her hand and forehead against the glass as he convulses with pain.

After a moment the lights died in the booth along with the humming as the power died.

Ariana felt her hearts stopping as he remained still, the Bond was still there...so he had be as well...

She waited for him to make any sign of movement, even just a twitch of a finger would do to know he was okay. Slowly, but ever so painfully, he finally moves, as his hand slipped off his head.

She let out a sigh of relief, almost feeling overwhelmed just from the emotions. The Doctor twisted, looking back through the glass at her. Moving her hand on the glass, as he does, both taking a moment to breath before he sat up.

"Hello," Wilf breathed in greeting, also relieved to see him.

The Time Lord let out a humourless laugh, "Hi," he replied hoarsely.

"Still with us?" Wilf asked with concern, as the Doctor tiredly pushed himself back to his feet.

"The system's dead," he said as Ariana now got up and stepped back, waiting until he was fully up, "I absorbed it all. Whole thing's kaput," reaching out to touch the door and it opened, "Oh. Now it opens, yeah."

Soon as he had stepped out, Ariana was in his arms, sobbing into his shoulder wrapping his arms tightly around her, "Oh, Doctor," she whispered.

He drew back from her slightly, "Don't cry, Ari please," he muttered to her, wiping her tears away, being mindful of the cut on her cheek, "You know I hate it when you cry."

Wilf eyed the Doctor as they turned to face him, "Well, there we are, then," he commented, "Safe and sound..." he now looked at their faces, "Mind you, you're both in hell of a state. You've got some battle scars there," the Doctor gave his face and eyes a rub, pulled them down and away to reveal a clean, mended face. His eyes widened with shock, "But they've. Your face..." he exclaimed pointing at him, "How did you do that?"

He frowned now looking his hands over, to see that the cuts and bruises have disappeared, "It's starting," he looked over to Wilf, "Still..." he turned to his mate, who took a few steps back, knowing what he intended to do.

"No, no, don't you..." he quickly grasped her hand before she could finish telling him off.

He allowed some of his regeneration energy to flow into her, healing her body, "There now that's better," he smiled at her.

Ariana gave him a annoyed look, "You didn't have to do that I can heal myself ya know," she now frowned, "Now you will have less time."

He took her healed hand to his lips and kissed it, "It was worth it for me not seeing you in pain."

Ariana shook her head, glancing at Wilf, "See what I have to put up with even when he's a sweetheart he drives me insane."

-Doctor Who-

The TARDIS materialised across the road from the Nobles house, the Time Lords stepping outside. Ariana was currently putting a brush through her hair frizzy tangles, struggling with the knots, she was very determined to have it done before she saw anyone. Looking over the road to the house, they spotted Sylvia standing in the doorway, smiling at them for a change. As Wilf gave his daughter a wave.

"Oh, she's smiling," the Time Lord remarked, catching sight of the woman, wincing to himself, "As if today wasn't bad enough," he shook his head and turned to Wilf, who was looking at them like they were going to disappear, "Anyway, don't go thinking this is goodbye, Wilf."

"We'll see you again, soon," Ariana added with a smile before it became a grimace as she gets the brush caught in a knotty tangle.

The Doctor turned to his mate, slightly concerned, "Do you want..."

"Sweetie, if you're thinking of helping me untangle this mess, I suggest that you never do it," she warned moodily with narrowed eyes, and quickly put his hands up, knowing not to push his luck.

"What do you mean?" he now asked them both, "When's that?"

"Just keep looking," the Doctor simply to him, "We'll be there."

"Where are you going?"

He paused for a moment, before looking back at him, "To get my reward."

-Doctor Who-

The Doctor stood on top of some scaffolding, just after Ariana had knocked out the Sontaran who had been aiming its gun at Martha and Mickey Smith as the pair stood in some warehouse district, looking at a map.

Both of them looked up, spotting the Time Lords and waved. He smiled in return before taking his mates free hand that wasn't holding the mallet, both walking away.

-Doctor Who-

The Time Lords watch as Luke Smith walked down a footpath on Bannerman Road, chatting away on his mobile phone. He takes a step off the curb, continuing across the street, still busy talking away on his phone that he never saw the car coming towards him. They sprang into action and charged across the road at full speed, the Doctor took the boy from around his middle, pushing him back towards the footpath as the cars horn beeped going past.

"It's you two!" Luke gasped, still in shock managing to have kept hold of his phone.

Ariana looked at him sternly, "Make sure to look both ways before crossing the road, kid," she scolded him as she shook her head, "Dear lord, I dread to think what could of happened!"

The Doctor took her hand, returning Luke a sympathetic look, knowing what was like to be on the other end of her motherly rants. He nodded at the teenager before they turned and walked back towards the TARDIS.

"Mum!" Luke called urgently as he ran back across the street, looking both ways before reaching his house, "Mum!"

"What?" Sarah asked, just as she came jogging outside to meet her son, "What is it?"

"It's them," Luke pointed over to the Time Lords, "It's the Doctor and Ariana!"

She looked over to where he is pointing, eyes widening just as the Time Lords stopped once reaching the TARDIS, both looking back sadly. They gave a small wave, both seeing her face pale, understanding exactly what is happening, before stepping inside the time machine.

-Doctor Who-

Next they ended up in a space bar, where a whole variety of different aliens gathered, but their main focus was on one Captain Jack Harkness, who was sitting by himself at the bar sipping a drink. The Doctor grabbed a napkin and scribbled something on it, before passing it to Ariana who flipped it around to write on the other side. She handed it to the bartender, telling them who to hand it to.

The bartender walled over passing Jack the note, "From those two over there."

Moving out of the way for Jack surprised to see the Time Lords standing there, Ariana giving him a nod and a cheeky smile. He unfolded the napkin, looking at what had been written:

'His name is Alonzo...' in the Doctor's handwriting. Looking back up, bewildered to see a young ship man had sat beside him. He gave him a brief glance and back to the pair, Ariana gesturing for him to turn it over and he turned it over seeing her message: 'Tell him your psycic or something...'

Jack laughed, as he looked back up again both of them gave him a salute, which he returned, before they left.

-Doctor Who-

Ariana had went with her mate to a book signing and watched on from the side lines for emotional support. He had told her about the woman Joan Redfern a woman he had met in when he had to become human to hide from The Family of Blood. She had even seen a picture of her and to say the author bore a striking resemblance to her great-grandmother.

"No, it's not just a story, no. Every word of it's true. I found my great grandmother's diary in the loft, and she was a nurse in 1913, and she fell in love with this man called John Smith. Except he was a visitor from another world. She fell in love with a man from the stars. And she wrote it all down."

She hands a book the signed book to the young man she had been speaking to. The next book is put on the table, the Doctor sliding it over to her.

"And who's it for?" Verity asked, flipping the front page open not having looked up, preparing to sign it.

"The Doctor," the Time Lord simply answered.

She gave a sigh, "To the Doctor," she now signed the book, "Funny, that's the name he used..." she began trailing off, pausing in thought before slowly looking up at him, stunned.

"Was she happy...in the end?" the Doctor quietly asked. Still feeling a little guilt y for Nurse Redfern having fallen in love with him, knowing could of never returned her affections.

"Yes. Yes, she was. Were you?"

He smiled at her broadly and nodded before taking the book. Going up to Ariana wrapping his arm around her waist, leaning into her for support starting to feel weak as they left the book store.

-Doctor Who-

The Time Lords watched on somewhat sadly as they stood outside the gates of a church beside the TARDIS, seeing Donna laugh with her friends and family, having just come out of the church after her marriage ceremony. She looked so happy and carefree whilst posing for photos. They had wanted to sneak in for the ceremony, even if it was to hide in the shadows. But the Doctor was coming much closer to regeneration, that there simply wasn't enough time. Especially with the last stop that needed to be made.

Ariana grinned, as she linked her arm through her mates noticing Minnie throwing some confetti over Wilf's head as they stood nearby with Sylvia, who laughed at the face her father made. She froze when looking over to see them standing there, her eyes widening just as Minnie left. She nudged Wilf in the side, drawing him to them as well and they walked up to them.

"And here you are, eh? Same old face," Wilf smiled at the Doctor, "Didn't I tell you you'd be all right? Oh! They've arrested Mister Naismith. It was on the news. Crimes undisclosed. And his daughter. Both of them, locked up. But I keep thinking, Doctor, there's one thing you never told me. That woman. Who was she?"

The Doctor cleared his throat avoiding the question, quickly glancing over at Donna, "We just wanted to give you this," he looked back to them both, taking out a small envelope from his coat pocket, passing it to Wilf, "Wedding present," he smiled a little, "Thing is, we never carry money, so we just popped back in time, borrowed a quid off a really lovely man..."

"Geoffrey Noble," Ariana cuts in, giving Sylvia a weak smile, he hand flying to her mouth in shock, "'Have it,' he said to us," she went on as the other woman cried, "'Have that on me'".

They nodded their goodbyes to the family and turned to step back inside the TARDIS, hoping Donna will enjoy their gift.

-Doctor Who-

Ariana walked up to the console and started putting in some instructions .

"Ari what are doing?" the Doctor frowned at his mate.

She looked up to meet his eyes, "We've got, or rather you've got one last trip to make."

Even though her feelings towards Rose hadn't changed. She was the first face he had every saw after he had regenerated. She was giving the Doctor his last chance to see her again. The very year she had met him and changed her life.

"Where to exactly?"

"It was a stretch. Well quite a big stretch actually, but it will work out fine ..." she flipped a switch and the TARDIS went off, only materialising few moments later on a street in the middle of a small neighbourhood of flats, snow covering the ground, the sky dark and twinkling with stars.

The Doctor stepped out, looking about in confusion. Ariana led him into the middle of the street, waiting for him to catch on where they are, when some voices started drifting over them. She pulled him over towards, just when two women slowly drew closer.

"I'm late now. I've missed it," the Doctor's eyes widened looking back at his mate smiling, recognising it as Rose's voice, "It's midnight. Mickey's going to be calling me everything. This is your fault!"

"No, it's not!" Jackie responded indignantly, "It's Jimbo. He said he was going to give us a lift, then he said his axle broke. I can't help it."

"Get rid of him, Mum. He's useless."

"Listen to you, with a mechanic. Be fair, though. My time of life I'm not going to do much better."

"Don't be like that," Rose stops her at the mouth of the alley, both Time Lords now getting a better view of them, "You never know. There could be someone out there."

"Maybe, one day. Happy New Year!"

"Happy New Year!" Rose returned a smile as she gave her mother a hug, "Don't stay out all night!"

"Try and stop me!" Jackie hurried off.

The Doctor slowly walked up to the alleys edge just as Rose started going past, a sharp pain hits him and he grimaced, groaning. Ariana forced herself to stay hidden away in the alleys shadow, so she wouldn't be seen by Rose, this moment was something the Doctor had to do by himself.

Rose now turned to face him, "You all right, mate?"

"Yeah," he nodded, trying to reign in control from the regeneration beginning.

"Too much to drink?" she asked with a smile.

"Something like that."

"Maybe it's time you went home."

"Yeah."

"Anyway, Happy New Year!" she returned cheerily.

"And you!" he grinned back at her. She turned to walk away and head inside when he called out to her, "What year is this?"

"Blimey, how much have you had?" she giggled as he gave a shrug, "2005, January the first."

"2005," he repeated in thought, "Tell you what..." he swallowed, "I bet you're going to have a really great year!"

"Yeah?" she asked in amusement, as he smiled, "See ya!" she gave him a wave and ran off towards the stairwell, opening the door and gave him one last glance over her shoulder, stepped inside and hurried up the stairs.

The moment she had gone, Ariana ran towards her mate and wrapped her arm around him, just as he let out another grunt of pain, relying on her weight as he leaned against the wall, "Shh, everything's okay," she soothed, kissing his warm forehead, "We've got this. Come on, let's get back to the TARDIS."

The Doctor began breathing more heavily as they staggered out from the alley, a hand on the wall for support, but he had to let go and lean on Ariana instead. They struggled with difficulty to the other side of the estate where the TARDIS is parked. He gave another moan of pain, Ariana trying to comfort him with her words to keep him going. Suddenly his knees gave out and he collapses into the snow with a cry, bringing his girlfriend down with him.

She ignored, the twinge of pain in her ribs from the fall and immediately sat herself up. Her eyes fixed on her boyfriend as she pulled him close, rocking them back and forth as he groaned in pain, "It's just a little further, sweetie," she whispered, her voice cracking slightly feeling tears burning the corners of her eyes, "It's just a few more steps..."she trailed off looking up to see Ood Sigma stand a few meters away.

The Ood raised his orb as it lit up, "We will sing to you, Doctor," he said to them, voice calm as the Doctor lifts up his head, "The universe will sing you to your sleep."

The Doctor sighed deeply and struggled back on his feet, leaning on Ariana for support again as they staggered on with determination towards the TARDIS as the Ood song filled their heads.

"This song is ending, but the story never ends," Sigma finally said as they reached the TARDIS. Ariana unlocked the doors and threw them open taking them inside.

-Doctor Who-

She guided him up the ramp, helping him take his coat off as he chucked it over the Y-beam. The Doctor glanced downward at his right hand as it began to glow with golden energy. He swallowed harshly and looked up to his mate, who was trying to offer him a comforting smile, just as tears spilled down her cheeks.

"It's gonna be okay Doc," she assured him, "I'll be here the entire time, you won't be alone in this, understand?"

He tightly closed his eyes before opening them again, as his voice trembled, "I'm...I'm scared."

"Oh, sweetie," Ariana bursts into tears and pulls him into a tight embrace, as he shook against her. They just stood there for a moment, holding each other not wanting to let go until the Doctor pulled away, stepped towards the controls. As he hit a lever, sending them off into space.

He stared at the Time Rotor, watching it rise and fall before moving around the console, coming to stand before Ariana, eyes filled with tears, "I don't want to go," he whispered fearfully to her, feeling heartbroken.

She swallowed a sob, almost shook up as he was, "I'm gonna be right here," she tried to sound strong for him smiling through her tears, "I'll see you on the other side, sweetie."

The energy began swirling around his head, becoming brighter and brighter as Ariana stepped back, wanting to prepare herself, knowing how long he has put this off for, it was going to be very violent. He took deep breath as he looked at one hand then the other both glowing brightly. He gave Ari one last glance, when he suddenly threw his head back, energy pouring from him.

As Ari had expected, the energy was shooting out with such violence that all the windows had exploded on the doors and the console to sparked, flames came roaring up making Ariana jump back, keeping her head covered from the debris falling from above. The Y-beams started to collapse around her, one of them just about missing her, throwing herself to the floor.

The Time Lady winced just as her mate shouted out in pain, when his voice changed and the regeneration ended. She slowly raised her head to find herself looking at the Doctor...well. What was the new him anyway. He was shorter than his last self around 5'11, he looked more gangly than before and not to mention younger. Looking to be in his mid-twenties, with thick dark brown hair, with a slight quiff, his features were now more softer along with a large chin, that she going to tease him about.

"Legs!" the Time Lord cheered looking down at his new body, "I've still got legs!" he grabbed his leg and kissed his knee, "Good!" he dropped the leg and began patting his chest, "Arms!" he quickly looked at them, holding them to his face, "Hands. Ooo, fingers!" he wiggled them happily, "Lots of fingers!" he moved to his face, checking his head over, "Ears, yes!" he touches his eyes, Eyes, two!" over his nose, "Nose..." he frowned slightly about the size, "...I've had worse. Chin..." he feels his chin, "Blimey!"

Ariana got up brushing herself off and stepped in front of him, grinning at him as his attention went immediately to her. Standing before him she noticed that his eyes were now green, "Oh, lord," she let out with a mocking sigh, "You're still taller than me and I have to say that is very unfair."

"Ari!" he cried with joy as he grabbed her and pulled her into a hug, which took her by surprise and kissed her as well before moving back, "No, no, no," he shook his head as she blinked back still in shock, "That, we can do more of later," he scolded himself, "Now first off, am I ginger?"

She laughed slightly and gave his hair a ruffle, "Sorry, sweetie," she replied as his face fell, "It's kinda a dark brown now but a tad longer," she raised her eyebrows, "Seriously what is it with wanting to be ginger? That I'll never know."

The Doctor frowned in thought shifting on the spot, "There's something else. Something important. We're, we're..." he started tapping the sides of his head when a loud band interrupted his thoughts, jolting the ship as he grabbed Ariana, pulling her close to him.

"We're crashing!" Ariana groaned rather loudly, pulling herself out of the Doctors arms and running up to the console, wincing taking in the mess they've got into.

The Doctor on the other hand grinned madly and ran to the other side of the console, looking across to his mate, "Geronimo!"

-The End-

Book 3 (if you guys have any title suggestions I'll be more than happy to hear them)

of the Healer Series

Coming late 2019...


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